Latest Packers Injury Updates For Jordan Love

In the best news Green Bay Packers fans have heard all season, Jordan Love returned to the practice field on Wednesday after the starting QB had been inactive for the team’s Week 2 win, per Ryan Wood.

In the first attached video, Love can be seen doing short drops and checkdowns, and while he wasn’t putting much force into his steps, it was a very good sign. The second video was even more encouraging, as Love could be seen bouncing from one leg to the other, testing the strength of his joints, which seemed strong.

The first big injury of the 2024 NFL season had occurred before it even got to its first Sunday, over 5,400 miles from Green Bay in a land far, far away.

That land was Brazil, and the field was Corinthians Arena in São Paulo. While there were some issues with many players slipping and sliding on the turf, that’s not what caused Green Bay Packers QBJordan Love‘s knee injury.

With just six seconds left and his Packers down by five, Love was trying to make something happen, but unfortunately, he was wrapped up awkwardly in a high-low fashion by a pair of Philadelphia Eagles defenders, which left Love on the turf in a heap for a few minutes.

Early tests suggested that Love’s MCL sprain would keep him on the shelf for three to six weeks, but there were many conflicting reports, and his return to practice on Wednesday was very heartening for the QB and his team.

Malik Willis started in Week 2, with Sean Clifford having been elevated from the practice squad to serve as his backup in a 16-10 win.

Check back for all the latest updates about Love and his recovery from the injury.

Jordan Love Is Already Back At Practice

If Love can get a few more limited sessions in, he could be active for Week 3

In another video uploaded to Twitter by USA Today’s Wood, Love was seen jogging the length of the field with a protective sleeve on his injured left leg. He wasn’t breaking any speed records, but it looked like a comfortable gait from the QB.

Another Packers beat reporter, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, also shared a few videos of Love at his first practice back, two of which were the same as Wood’s but the third of which showed Love practicing handoffs and, most impressively, throwing on the run across his body on a rollout to his left

From the way Love had gone down initially against the Eagles, every Packers fan’s heart was in their throats, especially after he spent several minutes on the turf in what seemed like a lot of pain before needing two guys to help him limp off the field.

The first replay surely did not do anything to dispel those worries, though we will warn you, the video is somewhat graphic.

His knee can be seen popping out pretty clearly, which led many to believe that this was a season-ending injury courtesy of a torn ACL or a dislocated knee. However, the first tests revealed no damage to the ACL, meaning Love had avoided the worst of the worst.

However, the follow-up MRI did reveal a sprain in his MCL, the severity of which is between Grade 1 and Grade 2, which was pretty much the best possibility the Packers could have hoped for. Initial reports indicated that Love would miss “a few weeks“, then, that he would miss three to six weeks.

The recovery time was then shortened back down to a few weeks, with Love expected to return between Weeks 4 and 6, which meant he would be out for Week 2 and 3 at least, missing matchups at home against the Indianapolis Colts and on the road to the Tennessee Titans, both of which are winnable games even without Love.

However, The Athletic’s Diana Russini reported that a return before Week 4 is very unlikely. A Week 4 return would mean Love could be back under center for the Packers’ first division matchup of the season, a home game against the Minnesota Vikings.

During the days leading up to Week 2, head coach Matt LaFleur refused to rule Love out, saying that he left the door “pretty open” for Love to suit up as soon as Week 2, as the team did not intend to put him on injured reserve or sign a veteran QB for depth.

Obviously, his return to practice and the ease with which he’s moving would suggest that he may actually return before Week 4.

Either way, it’s worth noting that Love was shaky in Week 1 prior to the injury, completing just half of his passes and throwing an interception. However, he did throw for two TDs and put up a respectable 83.0 passer rating on the night.

If Love stays on the bench, Willis will get another start. The third-year pro has struggled in his limited NFL reps, even failing to get a Hail Mary off and taking a sack on the final play of the game after Love’s injury, though he did look a lot better in Week 2, as LaFleur tailored the game plan to his strengths perfectly.

An inability to deal with pressure has always been Willis’ Achilles heel, but with the weapons cache he has in Green Bay, he should be able to put out some more serviceable performances for Green Bay if need be.

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.