The Green Bay Packers aren’t necessarily rebuilding now that they’ve moved on from Aaron Rodgers and handed the keys to Jordan Love.
There’s a realistic chance that the Packers can make the 2023 NFL Playoffs, according to former quarterback Dan Orlovsky.
The Packers were eliminated from contention in the very last game of the 2022 regular season. Green Bay was defeated by the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football in a win-or-go-home Week 18 matchup for the Packers. Just because Aaron Rodgers couldn’t get the job done, that doesn’t mean Love will fail in 2023.
“I still think they’re a playoff football team,” Orlovsky told “The Pac McAfee Show. “This is a team that’s gone to the NFC Title Game two out of the last four years. Their defense is littered with talent.”
Prior to last year’s 8-9 finish, the Packers won exactly 13 games in three straight seasons. Green Bay was defeated in back-to-back NFC Championship Games before losing at home in the divisional playoffs during the 2021 campaign.
“I still think the Green Bay Packers are a playoff football team..
What happens if Jordan Love is really good with that young talent they have on offense”@danorlovsky7 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/qNl0uR23LQ
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 23, 2023
Rodgers followed up consecutive MVP campaigns with one of his worst seasons with the Packers. It isn’t inconceivable that Love’s 2023 stats could be better than what Rodgers produced during his final year in Green Bay.
“What if Jordan Love’s good?” Orlovsky asked. “We don’t really know, but he was a first-round pick three years ago.”
“This guy wasn’t a sixth-round pick that they’re just tanking with. What happens if Jordan Love’s really good? What happens if the Packers and Brian Gutekunst got it right?”
Rodgers completed 64.6% of his passes for 3,695 yards, 26 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 91.1 passer rating last season.
Rodgers failed to post a top-20 completion rate or a top-15 passer rating. It’s certainly possible that Love could perform better in either area next season. Love might be the biggest unknown among any quarterback who isn’t entering his rookie season.
Since the Packers traded up to select Rodgers with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Love has made just one start and attempted 83 career passes.
The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Packers 17-10 in Love’s only career start. While Rodgers missed the game with COVID-19, his successor wasn’t incredibly impressive.
Love had a much better showing on Nov. 27 of last year when Rodgers left the fourth quarter of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles with an injury. Love led a pair of scoring drives in a 40-33 loss. The Packers’ quarterback completed six of nine passes for 113 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
