'I would kind of say that toughness aspect of it': Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett was most impressed by Jordan Love’s toughness inside the pocket

Jordan Love was almost a taboo name in Packers Land this offseason because he signified the unknown and also invited arguments about Aaron Rodgers. However, with Rodgers now under lock and key until the end of the year, curious Packers fans are looking at Love's preseason as an indicator of what could come in 2022.

Green Bay Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett will also be looking closely at Love over the next couple of weeks. Thus far, he likes what he's seen, according to Packers Wire.

“I would kind of say that toughness aspect of it,” Hackett said. “There was the one, he delivered that ball down the middle to Jace, which was a beautiful read, beautiful throw and he got hit at the same time. That’s always the first thing as a coach you want to see how a quarterback’s going to be able to stand in there and be able to take that. I mean, it was great. He got right back up and went down and scored. That was really good to see.”

Why toughness in the pocket matters for quarterbacks like Jordan Love

Toughness is a prerequisite for football, but fearlessness is uniquely important in the quarterback position. One flinch is all it could take to lose a game or end a season.

Quarterbacks who can hang in the pocket for a second longer waiting for a receiver to come open usually go further than quarterbacks who cannot. The ability to stare down a defense coming full speed while throwing a ball, knowing they will be taking a big hit, is a big seperator in the NFL.

Jordan Love has a passer rating of 134.1. He's 9-of-11 for 98 yards and a TD.

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 15, 2021

Standing in the pocket and throwing the ball faster so they can brace for the impact is not good enough in the NFL. Quarterbacks need to have perfect form even in the face of danger to win games in the NFL. No offensive line is perfect, so every quarterback eventually has to do this. Good quarterbacks can, but most cannot. It seems that Love is a part of the former group.

Green Bay Packers Training Camp

Going into 2021, Packers fans were on edge because they had not yet seen their young quarterback who could have ended up playing the entire season. However, after seeing Love complete 17 of 21 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown, fans are breathing a big sigh of relief.

No matter what happens to Rodgers, it seems the Packers are covered in 2022.