No. 1 — Jordan Love

The Green Bay Packers went 11-6 last season, sweeping the NFC West and the AFC South along the way.

Overall, though, no one in the building was happy.

The Packers failed to build on their terrific finish to the 2023 campaign, settled for the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs, and lost a Wild Card game to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.

Afterwards, general manager Brian Gutekunst turned up the heat on everybody in the building.

“We need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency,” Gutekunst said. “I think it’s time we started competing for championships.”

Those are fair expectations.

The Packers return 20 of 22 starters, and appear to have upgraded the roster via free agency and the draft. With several third and fourth year players trending upward, Green Bay should be poised to make a move.

“I think they’re ready,” Gutekunst said.

Now, it’s time for the Packers to prove their G.M. right.

Green Bay’s first training camp practice is Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Since late June, I’ve been counting down the ‘30 Most Important Packers’ heading into the 2025 campaign.

At No. 1 for the third straight season is quarterback Jordan Love.

No. 1

Jordan Love, QB

Last season

Love signed a four-year, $220 million contract early in training camp last summer, then had an up and down season.

Love suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in Green Bay’s Week 1 loss to Philadelphia and missed the next two games. He later missed half of a Week 8 game against Jacksonville with a groin injury and three quarters of a Week 18 loss to Chicago with a right elbow injury.

Despite those injuries, Love threw 25 TDs, 11 interceptions and had a 96.7 passer rating. Love ranked 19^th in passing yards (3,389) and completed 63.1% of his passes.

Love had a passer rating of at least 107.7 in five straight games between Weeks 11-15, but was at 92.0, or less, the last four contests.

Love then threw three interceptions in Green Bay’s loss to Philadelphia in the NFC Wild Card game and had a season-low passer rating of 41.5.

“I mean, what is a step back is what I’d ask?” Love said when asked if he regressed in 2024. “Everybody has different opinions, things like that. You got to block that stuff out. It’s all about the goals of the team at the end of the day. I’d say we won more games than we did the year before. That’s why I ask people what is a step back?”

Career to date

Love, a controversial first round draft pick in 2020, sat for three years behind Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. Then, when Love got his chance to take over in 2023, he made the most of it.

Love made all 19 starts in 2023, threw 37 touchdown passes and just 13 interceptions. During a two-month window between Week 11 and Green Bay’s NFC divisional playoff game at San Francisco, Love threw a remarkable 23 touchdowns and just one interception.

That’s something Green Bay legends Bart Starr, Brett Favre and Rodgers never did.

Love completed 409 of 634 passes (64.5%) for 4,625 yards and finished with a 98.5 passer rating in 2023. For comparison sake, Rodgers threw 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions during his first year as a starter in 2008 and had a passer rating of 93.8.

Love ranked second in the league in TD passes and seventh in total passing yards (4,159) in 2023.

“He had a hell of a year,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of Love.

Love’s growth from his early days in Green Bay was extremely impressive.

Love’s rookie season in Green Bay was lost largely due to COVID-19. There was no offseason program, there were no preseason games, and he spent the entire year as Green Bay’s No. 3 quarterback behind both Rodgers and Tim Boyle.

Love made one start in 2021 — a 13-7 loss at Kansas City — when Rodgers was sidelined with COVID. And Love finished that year completing 36-of-62 passes for 411 yards with two touchdowns, three interceptions and a passer rating of 68.7.

But Love took a major jump during his third season — the same point Rodgers made a gigantic leap in his career.

Rodgers skipped the majority of Green Bay’s 2022 offseason program, giving Love ample opportunity to work with the No. 1 offense. Love looked like a different player during those practices — and when his number was called during the regular season.

Love played in four games in 2022 and finished the year 14-of-21 for 195 yards, one TD, no interceptions and a quarterback rating of 112.2.

“Not every quarterback comes into this league ready to go out there and play,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said of Love. “I think he needed a little time. He needs to go out and play.”

The Packers then gave Love that opportunity by trading Rodgers to the New York Jets on April 26, 2023.

Outlook

When the 2023 season ended, it looked like Love would be a star for years to come. Love threw 37 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions that season, and in the second half of the year had a stretch where he threw a remarkable 23 TDs and just one interception.

Love didn’t regress in 2024, but he also didn’t take the type of step up many expected.

Now, the No. 1 question in Green Bay is can Love become elite?

There are 34 quarterbacks that have won a Super Bowl. Fifteen are in the Hall of Fame and eight others are locks or likely entrees when they become eligible (Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomed, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Eli Manning and Russell Wilson).

You don’t need to have an MVP-level quarterback to win a Super Bowl, but it sure makes life easier. Love has all the skills to become a great one, but faces a critical year in his development.

“I think he is an ascending player that is going to get better and better and better,” LaFleur said of Love.

Time is of the essence.

They Said It …

“I think Jordan, I think he’s comfortable. And what I mean by that is, he understands this offense in and out, he understands defenses, so now he’s at the point where he can just play and really be who he is. But he definitely has been more vocal, whether it’s at practice or even in the meetings, man. If he sees something he doesn’t like, he’s speaking up. He’s definitely stepped up a lot this year. I’ve definitely seen a big change in him.” — Packers running back Josh Jacobs on Love

“For him, it’s consistency in everything he does, improving accuracy, improving his footwork and just really taking command of another step in the offense.” — Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich on where Love needs to get better

““Yeah, obviously he’s played a lot of ball and along with that has gained a lot of confidence. I think he’s certainly comfortable in helping lead others and telling them what to do. He’s a coach on the field. He knows this offense as well as anybody in regards to the details and what we’re trying to get accomplished. And I think he articulates that well to the other players.”— Packers coach Matt LaFleur on Love

“I think Jordan does a great job. He’s probably one of those most calm quarterbacks I’ve ever been around, in my opinion. He’s so poised in the huddle, whether we’re going through adversity or anything, he’s the same person. He’s always calm, he’s cool, collected. I think he does a great job, we’ve just got to help him, rally around him and just be better for him.” — Packers wideout Jayden Reed on Love

THE TOP 30

• No. 30 — RB MarShawn Lloyd

• No. 29 — WR Dontayvion Wicks

• No. 28 — S Javon Bullard

• No. 27 — WR Savion Williams

• No. 26 — LB Isaiah McDuffie

• No. 25 — OL Jordan Morgan

• No. 24 — WR Matthew Golden

• No. 23 — CB Carrington Valentine

• No. 22 — WR Romeo Doubs

• No. 21 — QB Malik Willis

• N0. 20 — DE Lukas Van Ness

• No. 19 — RG Sean Rhyan

• No. 18 — LT Rasheed Walker

• No. 17 — DT Devonte Wyatt

• No. 16 — S Evan Williams

• No. 15 — CB Nate Hobbs

• No. 14 — LB Quay Walker

• No. 13 — OL Aaron Banks

• No. 12 — CB Keisean Nixon

• No. 11 — K Brandon McManus

• No. 10 — TE Tucker Kraft

• No. 9 — WR Jayden Reed

• No. 8 — DT Kenny Clark

• No. 7 — RT Zach Tom

• No. 6 — Elgton Jenkins

• No. 5 — DE Rashan Gary

• No. 4 — RB Josh Jacobs

• No. 3 — LB Edgerrin Cooper

• No. 2 — S Xavier McKinney