The Green Bay Packers were dealt an unfortunate blow Friday night when star quarterback Jordan Love was forced to leave the game with six seconds left with an apparent lower leg injury.
The injury didn’t look good at the moment and on Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that Love suffered a medial collateral ligament sprain. Schefter added that it’s not expected to end the season, but the 25-year-old is expected to miss some time.
Learn more: Packers quarterback Jordan Love has a medial collateral ligament sprain and is expected to miss an extended period
Love’s injury has raised many questions about the Packers’ quarterback position. Without Love, third-year quarterback Malik Willis and second-year quarterback Sean Clifford appear to be competing for the starting job. However, some reports have indicated that the Packers are scouring the free-agent market for a veteran who could play the role of signal-caller for the Pro Bowl.
Learn more: Packers contact former Pro Bowl quarterback following Jordan Love’s injury
On Monday, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur put those rumors to rest for now when asked about the team’s quarterback situation.
“If Jordan is not cleared, then we’ll start Malik and Sean will be the backup,” LaFleur told reporters.
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First, LaFleur appears to have left the door open for Love to return sooner rather than later. He hasn’t definitively said Love will be out this week, meaning the team is likely doing everything it can to see if its star signal-caller can be there.
However, if Love is unable to play, Willis will be the team’s starter for Sunday’s Week 2 game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Willis appeared in Friday night’s game for the final two plays of the game, a 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The former 2022 third-round pick of the Tennessee Titans was acquired by the Packers in a somewhat surprising move in late August. However, the trade is already paying off for Green Bay.
Willis struggled during his first two seasons in Tennessee. In 11 games and just three starts, he completed 35 of 66 passes for 350 yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions. He added 32 carries for 144 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Willis is an obvious step down from Love, who is coming off his first season as a starter in 2023 in which he threw for 4,159 yards with 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. However, it will be up to Willis to hold down the fort during Love’s absence and try to keep the Packers from falling behind early in a crowded NFC North division.
