There's no doubt that 2023 Jordan Love played better than 2022 Aaron Rodgers. It could be hard to imagine an upgrade at quarterback after moving on from a legend, but the Green Bay Packers pulled it off — in part because Rodgers didn't play at his normal high level last season.

Love finished his first season as a full-time starter as fifth in EPA/play and with an 83.0 PFF grade, a significant improvement over Rodgers numbers in 2022: 21st in EPA/play, 77.5 PFF grade.

However, it's not only the on-field performance that has made a difference. Relationships and how the offense has been forged make everything easier for the roster and for the coaching staff.

"With this amount of young guys, having Jordan here has been better because there's more open dialogue, there's more we're going through this together," Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich explained this week. "It's not do this or 'or else,' or 'this is how we do it.' It's kind of like, 'alright, let's try this, does it work? Okay, let's go this way. Does it not work? Alright, let's try this.' There's more trial and error and guys going through it together. It's made us a lot better, for sure."

Over the last Aaron Rodgers years in Green Bay, there was a perception that the veteran quarterback wasn't a big fan of youth. From old hand signals to a desire to prioritize veteran weapons who had mastered the season, the sense was that young players would never have so much space and opportunity.

"I didn't have a chance to hang out with him (Rodgers)," wide receiver Romeo Doubs said last season. "It's always been football."

Christian Watson (611 yards in 2022) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (581 yards in 2018) were the most productive rookies in the Aaron Rodgers era. This year, the first after Rodgers left, rookie Jayden Reed led the team with 793 receiving yards.

One of the guys

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur also mentioned a closer relationship between Jordan Love and the rest of the roster as a positive development for the team.

"He's about all the right things. The guy just comes to work every day, has a great attitude, he's one of the guys," LaFleur stressed after a week 18 win over the Chicago Bears. "He's really improved over the course of four years. I'm just super happy for him, he's earned it."

This is not necessarily Aaron Rodgers' fault. It's just a different set of circumstances. He is 15 years older than Jordan Love and has been in the NFL for much longer. When Rodgers was drafted by the Packers in 2005, Love was six years old.

The age difference and Rodgers' status in the NFL world were big factors. But for this new version of the Packers, with a roster full of first- and second-year pass-catchers, Jordan Love is simply a better fit — even if you take away how well the new quarterback has been on the field.

It's a new era in Green Bay, and Jordan Love's calm and inspiring personality has been a big positive for the Packers. The opportunity to reach the playoffs in the first season of it is an important result, but it's also a consequence of how Love has been able to create connections and lead his teammates.

The vibes are just better, and there's no way around it.

LaFleur and Love share special moment after big win

Green Bay went to the playoffs with victory over Chicago