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While the Aaron Rodgers saga continues to drag out for the Green Bay Packers, backup quarterback Jordan Love remains in one of the most awkward positions in professional sports. He sits behind a legend who does not want to relinquish the reigns, and it is now anyone’s guess as to when Love will truly get his shot as a starter.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst probably thought that criticism of his 2020 first-round pick was likely over last year, but it has resurfaced louder and more vociferously now.
The Packers find themselves in a complicated bind once again, just like they did when a younger Rodgers backed up NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre. In that instance, the team decided to stick with Favre for three years before it handed the keys over to Rodgers.
In this case, it’s anyone’s guess what Green Bay will do now after the amount of noise Rodgers’ displeasure has generated throughout the NFL.
If the Packers are desperate to squeeze every last inch out of Rodgers and keep him happy, it’s possible they might take drastic action. The team could remove Love from the equation in an effort to satisfy Rodgers. Should the Packers seriously consider trading the 22-year-old quarterback?
Why The Packers Should Trade Love:
Think about the perception around the Green Bay Packers, and the team's desire to acquire more talent on offense. But many fans and media members alike will point to the team only using one first-round pick on a receiver during Rodgers’ tenure with the team.
The narrative is that the franchise has forced a great player to carry an average roster, year in and year out. But in reality, the Packers have come close to making Super Bowls in each of the last two years, in spite of an overall lack of offensive weapons. Since Green Bay is right on the doorstep of a championship, the team should look to maximize that window by trading Love away and eliminating all distractions.
There’s another big reason why the Packers should strongly think about trading Love. The league is arguably more crazy about finding talent under center than it has ever been. Look at the results of the NFL Draft a few weeks ago, where the top three picks were quarterbacks.
The Chicago Bears traded a large sum of future picks to move up and draft Justin Fields. Love was a first-round talent just last season, and there’s no reason to think his trade value has substantially diminished. It’s quite possible that some team would give the Packers valuable draft capital in order to acquire him. As a result, Green Bay should at least consider this move.
Why The Packers Should Keep Love:
At the end of the day, all good things must come to an end. Great runs by elite quarterbacks tend to taper off, and Rodgers probably doesn’t have five good years left in the tank. The Packers would be betting against years of evidence if they thought otherwise.
Even during the Brett Favre saga, the Packers sat the future of their franchise for three years before they gave Rodgers the nod. Even if Green Bay has to do something similar with Love, and he’s the player the team thinks he is, it is worth holding on to him until 2023.
The Packers would also be wise to keep Love around because there have been very successful examples of quarterbacks who sat on the bench before they were thrust under center. Rodgers, Steve Young, Patrick Mahomes, Philip Rivers and Tony Romo all spent at least one season on the bench learning from an incumbent starter. It’s not popular to leave assets on the sideline in the NFL anymore, so the gradual approach with Love work wonders before he is asked to lead a team.
Verdict: Trade Jordan Love
While it’s true that the Packers probably made the right decision turning to Rodgers after Favre neared the end of his prime, this situation is fairly different. There’s no reason to think that the Vikings, Lions or Bears will strongly challenge the Packers in the NFC North. For this reason, Green Bay should have another relatively easy path back to the playoffs with Rodgers under center.
There haven’t been too many signs of decline from Rodgers, either. It’s quite possible that Love might be the NFL’s next great quarterback, but the team already has the type of production from the position that is good enough to make conference title games. The Packers can ship Love out for a heavy price and later use that capital to bolster their roster, or draft another quarterback, in a few years.
