Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst made three key moves at quarterback this offseason. They worked exactly as nobody would have predicted.
First, he used a seventh-round draft pick on Michael Pratt.
Second, he signed Jordan Love to a blockbuster contract extension.
Third, he traded a seventh-round draft pick to the Titans to acquire Malik Willis.
Pratt, after a prolific career at Tulane, didn’t pan out, which helped necessitate the trade for Willis.
The big transaction, obviously, was Love’s new deal. He has been the wildest, most expensive rollercoaster ride imaginable.
Love ranks third in the NFL in air yards per attempt. On passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield, he is second in completions and third in touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus, even while missing two-and-a-half games due to injuries.
However, he’s tied with the Seahawks’ Geno Smith for an NFL-worst 10 interceptions, a feat accomplished while throwing 102 fewer passes than Smith. Of 36 qualifying quarterbacks, Love ranks 33rd in interception percentage.
Echoing what coach Matt LaFleur said the day after a 24-10 loss to Detroit in which Love threw a critical pick-six, Gutekunst on Tuesday said there is a balancing act between being aggressive and too aggressive, and the team doesn’t want to take the explosiveness out of Love’s game.
“There’s some that I’m sure he would like back and I’m sure our team would like back, as well,” Gutekunst said. “But when you’re able to make plays like he does, I think there’s a bit of a fine line where you’re feeling it out.
“He’s still a very young player from the amount of times he’s started. I’ve always thought it’s about 20 to 26 games before guys really settle into what they’re doing, and I think he’s a little bit in that time right now, as well.”
Love has started 25 games in his career.
Through nine games last season, Love threw 14 touchdowns vs. 10 interceptions. During the final eight games, he threw 18 touchdowns vs. one interception in an Aaron Rodgers-esque hot streak that carried the Packers into the playoffs.
The sensational second half of the season and dominant playoff performance at Dallas fueled expectations for this season. So, too, did the $220 million contract extension that briefly made him the highest-paid player in the NFL.
Instead, through nine weeks (seven starts) this season, Love’s numbers look far too much like the same juncture in 2023 with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
“My expectations are for him are probably what they are for all players, right? To keep working and putting team first,” Gutekunst said. “He leads our team exactly how we want him to lead our football team. Obviously, you guys have seen his ability to make plays and be a difference-maker in this league. He’s meeting all my expectations.
“We have high standards around here and there’s a lot put on his plate. Certainly, we feel very, very strongly that he’s the guy to do that.”
Incredibly, the Packers are 6-3 because of Willis as much as Love.
When Love missed two games with a knee injury, Willis started and beat the Colts and Titans. When Love exited with a groin injury at Jacksonville, Willis came off the bench and led the game-winning drive.
In two years in Tennessee, Willis threw 66 passes. He completed 35 for 300 yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions. In a half-season in Green Bay, he has thrown 39 passes. He completed 29 for 380 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
“You really got to credit Malik and our coaching staff for what a great job that they did getting him ready, putting a gameplan around him that really suited him,” Gutekunst said. “I’m just really proud of him.
“Obviously, we knew the player. We knew the skill-set and we really liked that part of it – the ability to win with his arm and his legs. The neat thing for me is getting to know him. He’s a great kid and really fits what we want here.”
Because of Willis, the Packers are in a good position to make the playoffs. It will be up to Love for the Packers to make a playoff run.
Love has thrown an interception in all seven games this season, the longest current streak in the NFL. It has to stop, no matter how much Gutekunst and LaFleur talk about fine lines and balancing acts.
Love’s interception rate is 4.17 percent. According to Stathead, no quarterback has reached the playoffs with an interception rate of 4.00 percent or higher since 2009. Over the last 40 years, no quarterback has won the Super Bowl with an interception rate of even 3.80 percent.
Gutekunst says he’s not alarmed, even after Love has reverted to his mistake-prone ways.
“It’s how you look at it,” Gutekunst said. “We see him every day. We see how he works, his focus, what he’s doing.
“I think every interception is a little different. I’m not overly concerned with it. It has to get better. I think we all know that. But, at the same time, I’m not overly concerned. The way he works, the way he goes about things, that’s just a matter of time, in my opinion.”