Jordan Love

Jordan Alexander Love (born November 2, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Utah State, where he was named to the second-team All-MWC (2018) and was selected as the MVP of the 2018 New Mexico Bowl. After announcing that he would forego his senior year of college, Love was drafted by the Packers in the first round (26th pick) of the 2020 NFL Draft. He served as the back-up quarterback to starter Aaron Rodgers for three years, before being named the starting quarterback of the Packers for the 2023 NFL season.

For the Australian racing driver, see Jordan Love (racing driver).

Jordan Love
refer to caption
Love with the Packers in 2021
No. 10 – Green Bay Packers
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1998-11-02) November 2, 1998
Bakersfield, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:219 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school:Liberty (Bakersfield, California)
College:Utah State (2016–2019)
NFL Draft:2020 / Round: 1 / Pick: 26
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 7, 2023
Passing attempts:276
Passing completions:161
Completion percentage:58.3%
TD–INT:13–10
Passing yards:1,869
Passer rating:79.5
Rushing yards:156
Rushing touchdowns:2
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early life and high school career

Love was born in Bakersfield, California, on November 2, 1998.[1] His father, Orbin Jr., was a police officer for the Bakersfield Police Department. Jordan and his father were close, with Orbin Jr. coaching many of his son's sports teams. After a doctor changed his medication, Orbin's behavior became abnormal and he died by suicide a short time later. Love was 14 years old when his father died; he contemplated quitting football but his mother encouraged him to continue for another year to make sure he was not making a rash decision. Love attended Liberty High School where he played on the football team. Initially quite small in stature, Love served as the back-up quarterback for the freshman team. Midway through his junior year, he became the starting quarterback for the varsity team, a position he would hold for the rest of high school.[2] As a senior, Love passed for 2,148 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed for 806 yards with eight touchdowns.[3] He led Liberty to the State semi-final that season.[2] A two-star recruit, he committed to play college football at Utah State over offers from Eastern Washington, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, and Sacramento State.[4][5] His only scholarship offer came from Utah State.[2]

College career
Close up photo of Jordan Love's face, partially obscured by his football helmet
Love in college at Utah State in 2019

Between his freshman year of high school and his first year of college, Love grew nine inches (23 cm) in height and gained 80 pounds (36 kg). He redshirted his first year at Utah State in 2016. As a freshman in 2017, he played in 12 games and started the final six.[3] He finished the season, completing 129 of 235 passes for 1,631 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions.[6][7] Following his debut at UNLV, he was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week.[8]

As a sophomore in 2018, Love started all 13 games, completing 267 of 417 passes for a school season record 3,567 yards with 32 touchdowns and six interceptions.[9] He was named the MVP of the 2018 New Mexico Bowl after passing for 359 yards and four touchdowns.[10] His team finished the season with an 11–2 record and ranked No. 22 on the AP poll. Following his sophomore season, he was expected to be a future NFL first-round draft pick.[11]

In 2019, Love returned to Utah State under a new head coach and offensive coordinator. Many teammates from his previous season had graduated, including four starters on the offensive line.[12] Love again started all 13 games, completing 293 of 473 passes for 3,402 yards with 20 touchdowns and a career-high 17 interceptions. His team slid to a 7–6 record with the changes to the roster and coaching staff. Following the end of the 2019 season, Love announced that he would forgo his senior year and enter the 2020 NFL Draft.[13] He completed his college career passing for 8,600 yards, throwing 60 touchdowns against 29 interceptions and rushing for an additional 403 yards and 9 touchdowns.[14]

Professional career

2020 NFL Draft

Love participated in the NFL Scouting Combine prior to the 2020 Draft.[15] He measured in just under 6 foot 4 inches, 224 pounds and a hand span of 10 and a half inches. During the combine, Love participated in all of the major drills, including recording a 40-yard dash time of 4.74 seconds and a Wonderlic test score of 27. NFL.com graded him as the fifth best quarterback in the Combine and projected that he would eventually become a starting quarterback in the NFL. Analyst Lance Zierlein noted in his assessment of Love that "he has the arm to stick throws into tight windows but needs better eye discipline and anticipation to keep windows open. His size, mobility and arm talent combined with his 2018 flashes could be a winning hand that leads a team into the future or a siren's song of erratic play and unfulfilled potential".[16] Love's measurements and performance at the Scouting Combine were praised and increased interest in him as a high draft pick.[15][17]

After trading up with the Miami Dolphins, the Green Bay Packers drafted Love in the first round (26th pick) in the 2020 draft, making him the first player from a Group of Five conference to be chosen in that draft.[18][19] The move shocked draft analysts and the news media, as the Packers already had an MVP quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.[12] On July 1, 2020, Love signed his rookie four-year, fully guaranteed contract worth over $12.3 million with a signing bonus of over $6.5 million. It was the first time a quarterback received a fully guaranteed contract since the rookie pay scale was changed.[20]

Backup years: 2020–2022
Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love and another Packers player jogging on a football field in their uniforms during a game
Aaron Rodgers (#12) was the starting quarterback for the first three years of Love's (#10) career (both pictured during a 2021 game)

At the beginning of the 2020 NFL season, the Packers listed Love as the third quarterback on the depth chart, behind Rodgers and third year quarterback Tim Boyle.[21] Love was inactive for every game of the 2020 season, both regular season and the postseason.[22] The Packers would finish the 2020 season 13–3, earning the number one seed in the NFC.[23] They would go on to lose to the eventual Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game.[24]

The Packers made Love their second string quarterback behind Rodgers to start the 2021 NFL season.[25] After playing twice in the preseason,[26] Love made his NFL regular season debut in the fourth quarter of a 38–3 loss to the New Orleans Saints on September 12, 2021, in relief of Rodgers.[27] He completed six of eight passes but also lost a fumble.[28] Love made his first NFL start on November 7, 2021, against the Kansas City Chiefs, replacing Aaron Rodgers, who had tested positive for COVID-19 four days earlier and was ineligible to play.[29] Love completed 19 of 34 passes for 190 yards, threw one interception, and completed his first NFL touchdown pass to Allen Lazard, during the 13–7 loss.[30] With the Packers already securing their spot in the playoffs, Love relieved Aaron Rodgers in the second half of the last game of the year against the Detroit Lions, where he completed 10 of 17 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown, but also threw 2 late interceptions as the Packers lost 37–30.[31][32] The Packers would finish the season 13–4, losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.[33]

Love was again the second string quarterback behind Rodgers for the 2022 NFL season.[34] He saw limited action in two early season losses and one late season victory.[35] During a late season game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Love replaced an injured Rodgers, completing six of nine passes for 113 yards, with a long touchdown pass to Christian Watson to bring the Packers within one touchdown of tying the game.[36] Love finished the game with a 146.8 passer rating but was unable to complete the comeback, with the Packers losing 40–33.[37] The Packers would finish the year 8–9, missing the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.[38]

Transition to starter: 2023–present

During the offseason, there was much speculation from the national media that Rodgers would retire or be traded.[39] After Rodgers announced his intention to play in the 2023 NFL season for the New York Jets, the Packers completed a trade sending Aaron Rodgers to New York for draft picks.[40] In doing so, the Packers also named Love the starting quarterback for the 2023 season.[41] A month after the trade, he signed an incentive-laden one-year contract extension worth up to $22.5 million.[42] In Love's first start of the 2023 season, he threw for 245 yards and three touchdown passes as the Packers beat the Chicago Bears 38–20.[43] With that start, Love became only the third different quarterback to start week 1 for the Packers since 1993, after Brett Favre and Rodgers.[44] In Week 3, Love completed his first come-from-behind victory with a 18–17 win over the New Orleans Saints after the Packers trailed by a score of 17–0 in the fourth quarter.[45]

NFL career statistics
Regular season
Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles
GPGSRecordCmpAttPctYdsY/ALngTDIntRtgAttYdsY/ALngTDSckSckYFumLost
2020GB 00—DNP
2021GB 610–1366258.14116.6622368.712272.310032331
2022GB 40—142166.71959.36310112.21−1−1.0−100000
2023GB 662–411119357.51,2636.57710779.4211306.2262108320
Career1672–516127658.31,8696.877131079.5341564.62621310651
Source: Pro Football Reference[1]
Note: all statistics up-to-date as of Week 7 of the 2023 NFL season

Personal life

In late 2019, Love and two of his college football teammates were cited for possession of marijuana. The charges were later dropped, with prosecutors citing a lack of evidence for the dismissal.[46] Love started dating college volleyball player Ronika Stone in 2020, with the relationship still confirmed in the middle of 2023. Stone has a connection to professional football, with her father Ron Stone playing in the NFL for 12 seasons.[47]

References
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  2. Goodbread, Chase (February 10, 2020). "In the Name of Love". NFL.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  3. Horn, Trevor (December 22, 2017). "Transformed and recharged, Jordan Love takes off as freshman QB at Utah State". The Bakersfield Californian. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  4. Henline, Mitch (June 23, 2015). ""Dual-threat" quarterback from California commits to USU". Cache Valley Daily. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  5. "Jordan Love, 2016 Dual-threat quarterback". N.Rivals.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  6. Peavler, Lafe (June 21, 2018). "Utah State position breakdown: Jordan Love looks to make strides as undisputed starting QB". Deseret News. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  7. Peavler, Lafe (August 8, 2018). "Utah State QB Jordan Love a 'completely different guy' heading into 2018 season". Deseret News. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
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