The Green Bay Packers have been one of the more surprising teams in the 2023 NFL season. Now, after a 9-8 regular season, they’re in the Divisional Round of the playoffs after upsetting the 12-5 Dallas Cowboys.
One of their reasons for success has been quarterback Jordan Love. In just his first season as the Packers’ starter, he has done nothing but beat expectations. When was he drafted?
When Was Jordan Love Drafted by the Packers?
Love was born in Bakersfield, California, on Nov. 2, 1998. He attended Liberty High School, where everything started. After initially serving as the backup quarterback, similar to his time with the Packers, Love took over midway through his junior year.
In his senior season, Love passed for 2,148 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also rushed for 806 yards and eight touchdowns. His success led his team to the State semi-final and earned him a three-star ranking, according to 247Sports. He ended up committing to and attending Utah State University.
He then spent three seasons at Utah State, where he passed for 8,600 yards, 60 touchdowns, and 29 interceptions.
He also added 403 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. He entered the 2020 NFL Draft despite having an underwhelming junior season following a dominant sophomore campaign.
Love was eventually taken with the 26th pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Packers. The decision to draft Love was reportedly a surprise to then-starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Packers had traded up with the Miami Dolphins to select Love.
The 2020 NFL Draft was filled with quarterback talent. While Love was still taken in the first round, he was still the fourth quarterback off the board. He came after Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Justin Herbert. Additionally, he was taken before now-Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was selected in the second round.
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Since being drafted, all five have found success. Burrow, Herbert, and Hurts have all received blockbuster second contracts, while Tagovailoa and Love wait in the wing following successful seasons.
For Love, though, he sat on the bench for the first three seasons of his career. Rodgers, despite a let-down year in 2019, went on to win back-to-back MVP awards in 2020 and 2021, making it a difficult decision to move on from him and start Love.
However, after another disappointing season in 2022, the Packers and Rodgers decided to part ways. The New York Jets acquired Rodgers, along with a 2023 fifth-rounder, from the Packers in exchange for a 2023 second-rounder, a 2023 sixth-rounder, and a conditional 2024 second-rounder.
The decision showed commitment to Love, as he was the unchallenged starter for the first time in his NFL career. In his first season as a starter, he started all 17 games and passed for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 247 yards and four more touchdowns.
Now, in his career, Love has played in 27 total games, passing for 4,765 yards, 35 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He had started just one game before 2023 when he led the Packers to a 13-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021. In that game, Love passed 19 of 34 for 190 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Now, Love and the Packers will face the NFC’s top-seeded San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers finished the season 12-5 and are favored by 10 points. If the Packers were to win, they would face either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game.
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