Packers QB Jordan Love has an MCL injury and should return this season, AP source says

Inexperienced Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love injured his medial collateral ligament within the crew’s season-opening sport, however didn’t undergo harm to his ACL and may return sooner or later this season, an individual aware of the state of affairs informed The Related Press.

The particular person spoke to the AP on the situation of anonymity as a result of the crew hasn’t introduced the severity of Love’s damage. A timetable for Love’s return wasn’t specified.

ESPN and NFL Community first reported the replace on Love, who damage his knee on the third-to-last play of the Packers’ 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil on Friday evening. ESPN reported Love might miss three to 4 weeks, whereas NFL Community estimated it at three to 6 weeks.

The damage occurred as Love was making an attempt to drive the Packers to a game-winning landing within the closing seconds. He had simply thrown a 33-yard completion to Jayden Reed that obtained them close to midfield. On the subsequent play, Love confronted main strain from Jalen Carter and Josh Sweat as he threw a backward move to Josh Jacobs.

Carter was mendacity down and had a maintain of Love’s left leg when Sweat pushed the quarterback to the bottom. Love remained on the bottom for a number of seconds, then slowly obtained up and limped to the sideline with help.

Malik Willis, who was acquired from the Tennessee Titans, changed Love for the ultimate two performs of the sport. Willis obtained sacked as time expired earlier than he might try a Hail Mary move.

The 25-year-old Love was taking part in his first regular-season sport since signing a four-year, $220 million contract extension this summer season. The Packers entered the season with Tremendous Bowl aspirations largely due to the emergence of Love, who led the NFL’s youngest crew to a shocking playoff berth final season as a first-year starter.

The Packers imagine Love is on observe to proceed the franchise’s three-decade run of excellent quarterback manufacturing, a convention that started within the Nineties with Corridor of Famer Brett Favre and continued with four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers. The Packers traded Rodgers within the spring of 2023 to make means for Love, who accomplished 64.2% of his passes for 4,159 yards with 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions final season.

The one different quarterbacks to throw for at the least 4,000 yards and 32 touchdowns of their first season making a number of begins had been Kurt Warner in 1999 and Patrick Mahomes in 2018. The one quarterbacks to throw greater than 32 landing passes of their first season with a number of begins had been Mahomes (50), Warner (41) and Daunte Culpepper (33 in 2000).

Now, the Packers should attempt to win with out Love as their franchise quarterback begins his restoration.

Willis, a 2022 third-round choose from Liberty, is the one different quarterback on the Packers’ 53-man roster. He made three begins his rookie 12 months and didn’t throw for as many as 100 yards in any of them.

The Packers acquired Willis from the Tennessee Titans for a 2025 seventh-round draft choose in a commerce that was accomplished lower than two weeks in the past. Inexperienced Bay additionally has 2023 fifth-round draft choose Sean Clifford on its apply squad.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Steve Megargee, The Related Press