Jordan Love
refer to caption
Love with the Green Bay Packers in 2021
No. 10 – Green Bay Packers
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1998-11-02) November 2, 1998 (age 24)
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 2022
TD–INT:3–3
Passing yards:606
Completion percentage:60.2%
Passer rating:79.7
Rushing yards:26
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

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 (20th 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. Love signed a contract extension with the Packers through the 2024 NFL season.

Early life and high school career

Love was born in Bakersfield, California, on November 2, 1998. His father, Orbin Jr, died when Love was 14 years old.[1] Love attended Liberty High School. After being told he could not play quarterback as a freshman, he was named the starter by his senior year. As a senior, Love passed for 2,148 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed for 806 yards with eight touchdowns. 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.[2][3]

College career

Love in college at Utah State in 2019

Love redshirted his first year at Utah State in 2016. As a freshman in 2017, he played in 12 games and started the final six.[4] He finished the season, completing 129 of 235 passes for 1,631 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions.[5][6] Following his debut at UNLV, he was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week.[7]

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.[8] He was named the MVP of the 2018 New Mexico Bowl after passing for 359 yards and four touchdowns.[9] 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.[10]

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.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13]

Professional career

2020 NFL Draft

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Wonderlic
6 ft 3+3⁄4 in
(1.92 m) 		224 lb
(102 kg) 		32+5⁄8 in
(0.83 m) 		10+1⁄2 in
(0.27 m)		 4.74 s 1.65 s 2.75 s 4.52 s 7.21 s 35.5 in
(0.90 m)		 9 ft 10 in
(3.00 m)		 27
All values from NFL Combine[14]

After trading with the Miami Dolphins, the Green Bay Packers drafted Love in the first round (26th pick) in the 2020 NFL Draft, making him the first player from a Group of Five conference to be chosen in that draft.[15][16] The move shocked draft analysts and the news media, as the Packers already had a (then 2×) MVP quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.[11] General manager Brian Gutekunst explained that Love was the top remaining player on his draft board, and said there "really wasn't anyone else [...] that we felt comfortable taking" with their first round pick.[17] 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.[18]

Backup years: 2020–2022

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.[19] Love was inactive for every game of the 2020 season, both regular season and the postseason.[20] The Packers would finish the 2020 season 13–3, earning the number one seed in the NFC. They would go on to lose to the eventual Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game.

The Packers named Love their second string quarterback behind Rodgers to start the 2021 NFL season. Love played in preseason games against the Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills. He 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. He completed five of seven passes for 68 yards and lost a fumble.[21][22] Love's first NFL completion was a 19-yard pass to rookie receiver Amari Rodgers.[23] 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.[24] 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.[25] 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. The Packers would finish the season 13–4, losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Love was again named the second string quarterback behind Rodgers for the 2022 NFL season. He saw limited action in two early season losses and one late season victory, relieving Rodgers late in the fourth quarter of each game. 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. Love finished the game with a 146.8 passer rating but was unable to complete comeback, with the Packers losing 40–33. His performance during the game impressed his coaches and teammates, with some members of the media speculating that Love's play on the field would encourage the Packers to move on from Rodgers during the offseason. The Packers would finish the year 8–9, missing the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.

Transition to starter: 2023–present

During the offseason, there was much speculation from the national media that Rodgers would retire or be traded. 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. In doing so, the Packers also named Love the starting quarterback for the 2023 season.[26] A month after the trade, Love signed an incentive-laden one-year contract extension worth up to $22.5 million depending on his performance.[27]

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Avg TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2020 GB 0 0 — DNP
2021 GB 6 1 0–1 36 62 58.1 411 6.6 2 3 68.7 12 27 2.3 0 3 23 3 1
2022 GB 4 0 — 14 21 66.7 195 9.3 1 0 112.2 1 −1 −1.0 0 0 0 0 0
Career 10 1 0–1 50 83 60.2 606 7.3 3 3 79.7 13 26 2.0 0 3 23 3 1
Source: pro-football-reference.com

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.[28] 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.[29]

References

  1. ^ Goodbread, Chase (February 10, 2020). "In the Name of Love". NFL.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  2. ^ Henline, Mitch (June 23, 2015). ""Dual-threat" quarterback from California commits to USU". CacheValleyDaily.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  3. ^ "Jordan Love, 2016 Dual-threat quarterback". N.Rivals.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  4. ^ Horn, Trevor (December 22, 2017). "Transformed and recharged, Jordan Love takes off as freshman QB at Utah State". Bakersfield.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  5. ^ Peavler, Lafe (June 21, 2018). "Utah State position breakdown: Jordan Love looks to make strides as undisputed starting QB". DeseretNews.com. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  6. ^ Peavler, Lafe (August 8, 2018). "Utah State QB Jordan Love a 'completely different guy' heading into 2018 season". DeseretNews.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  7. ^ Dennison, Wade (October 23, 2017). "USU football: Jordan Love named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week". DeseretNews.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  8. ^ Hoffman, Doug (January 3, 2019). "USU football: Jordan Love and David Woodward named to 2019 Touchdown Club of Columbus Players to Watch List". DeseretNews.com. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  9. ^ "Liberty graduate leads Utah State to blowout bowl win". Bakersfield.com. December 15, 2018. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  10. ^ Shpigel, Ben (April 22, 2020). "Who Is Jordan Love? A High-Risk, High-Reward Quarterback". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  11. ^ a b McAtee, Riley (April 24, 2020). "The Packers Shocked the World—and Likely Aaron Rodgers—by Drafting Jordan Love". TheRinger.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  12. ^ Bonagura, Kyle (December 10, 2019). "Utah State QB Jordan Love declares for NFL draft". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  13. ^ "Jordan Love College Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  14. ^ "Jordan Love Combine Profile". NFL.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  15. ^ "2020 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  16. ^ "2020 NFL Draft: Packers select Utah State QB Jordan Love in first round, No. 26 overall". Packers.com. April 23, 2020. Archived from the original on April 28, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  17. ^ Chavez, Chris (April 27, 2020). "Packers GM Explains Jordan Love Draft Selection". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  18. ^ Shook, Nick (July 1, 2020). "Packers sign QB Jordan Love to fully guaranteed rookie deal". NFL.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  19. ^ Ireland, Kyle (September 11, 2020). "Green Bay Packers List Former Aggie Jordan Love As No. 3 Quarterback On Depth Chart". KSLSports.com. Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  20. ^ Demovsky, Rob (May 24, 2021). "Source: QB Aaron Rodgers not at Green Bay Packers OTAs". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  21. ^ Smith, Michael David (September 12, 2021). "Packers pull Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love makes his debut as Saints obliterate Packers". ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  22. ^ Benjamin, Cody (September 12, 2021). "Packers bench Aaron Rodgers for Jordan Love as Jameis Winston torches Green Bay in Week 1". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  23. ^ "Jordan Love's first NFL pass is 19-yard floater to Amari Rodgers". NFL.com. September 12, 2021. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  24. ^ Shook, Nick (November 3, 221). "Packers QB Aaron Rodgers tests positive for COVID-19, will not play in Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs". NFL.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  25. ^ Schwab, Frank (November 7, 2021). "Without Aaron Rodgers, Packers and Jordan Love manage just one TD in loss to Chiefs". Sports.Yahoo.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  26. ^ "OFFICIAL – Jets Acquire QB Aaron Rodgers From Green Bay Packers". NewYorkJets.com. April 26, 2023. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  27. ^ "Packers sign QB Jordan Love to contract extension". Packers.com. May 3, 2023. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  28. ^ Know, Annie (January 23, 2020). "Pot charges dropped for USU's Jordan Love; case more smoke than fire, attorneys say". Deseret.com. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  29. ^ Miller, Julie (August 11, 2023). "Is Jordan Love Married? Everything To Know About Love's Girlfriend Ronika Stone". ProFootballNetwork.com. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.

External links

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