The Green Bay Packers have already dealt with one significant injury to quarterback Jordan Love this season, and they are now facing the possibility of another.
Green Bay eked out a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, October 27, despite losing Love in the third quarter to what the team later stated was a groin strain. Malik Willis, Love’s backup quarterback, was solid in relief, completing 4-of-5 passes for 56 yards and one touchdown.
Willis has been fairly successful in his duty as Love’s stand-in this season, going 2-0 as a starter and assisting the Packers in a three-point victory over the Jaguars in Week 8.
However, Green Bay’s run-heavy offense and reliance on the defense to force turnovers, which worked against the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans in Weeks 2 and 3, when Love was out with a knee injury, will be more difficult to execute against the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers, two of the Packers’ next three opponents.
The skill of the battle, combined with the uncertainty surrounding Love’s health, raises the question of whether Green Bay should consider adding another quarterback to join Willis and third-string signal caller Sean Clifford if Love misses multiple games while recovering from his injuries.
One option for the Packers may be Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields, who was demoted in favor of Russell Wilson last week despite guiding the team to a 4-2 record with 10 total touchdowns and one interception in those six games.
Fields joined the Steelers this offseason via a trade with the Chicago Bears and is in the final year of his rookie deal.
Packers Have Reason for Concern, Optimism in Wake of Jordan Love’s Groin Injury
During his postgame news conference, head coach Matt LaFleur expressed a “high level of concern” about Love’s injury, noting that the quarterback had difficulty moving properly and that both the team and quarterback eventually succumbed to fears that Love couldn’t “protect himself.”
Later in the evening, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network put a more positive gloss on the situation, claiming that the Green Bay organization is optimistic.
“#Packers QB Jordan Love will undergo tests Monday, but there’s optimism he avoided a long-term injury today, per sources,” Pelissero reported. “Love continued to play after injuring his groin but was eventually forced to leave. The status of next Sunday’s game versus the [Detroit] Lions remains unknown.
Another source of confidence for Green Bay is its bye week, which occurs in Week 10 following the game against Detroit and one week before the team travels to Soldier Field to face the Bears.
Trading for Justin Fields Can Offer Packers Safety Net Against Struggles, Injury for Malik Willis
However, if Love suffers a Grade 1 or Grade 2 groin strain, he may be gone for 2-6 weeks. A Grade 3 strain, which does not appear plausible given Pelissero’s assessment, might have resulted in the quarterback missing the rest of the season.
Fields would be one of the best safety plays the Packers could make if Willis struggles against stronger opponents and/or injures himself. With Willis at quarterback, the squad averaged more than 200 yards rushing against the Colts and Titans, but that level of production is improbable against opponents like Detroit and San Francisco.
Willis was likewise excellent in Jacksonville on Sunday, but 51 of his 56 passing yards came from a single connection to wide receiver Jayden Reed.
If the Packers do not believe Love will be ready to play in Chicago on November 17, they will be playing with fire by not adding another quarterback to the roster in order to retain depth and acquaint another signal caller with the playbook.
Fields would most likely cost the team a late Day 2 or early Day 3 draft pick in 2025, allowing the Packers to select a less qualified quarterback off the midseason free agency scrap heap.
In any case, bringing in an additional quarterback is preferable to doing nothing and might be an option the Packers consider as soon as next week.
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