Green Bay Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy says it will likely be “at least half a season” before the team knows what it’s got in new starting quarterback Jordan Love.
Murphy noted the parallels to 2008, when Aaron Rodgers took over as Green Bay’s starting quarterback after supporting Hall of Famer Brett Favre for three seasons. Rodgers’ transfer to the New York Jets cleared the way for Love, who has had a career start since the Packers picked him out of Utah State with the 26. Overall selection in draft 2020.
The Packers went 6-10 in 2008 but won their final Super Bowl title two years later.
“If you compare it a little bit to Aaron’s first year as a starter, I’d say it takes at least half a season to know,” Murphy said Monday after the NFL’s only public team held its annual general meeting. “And I think even though we had a losing record this year, we’ve seen Aaron enough to know we had something special.”
The Packers begin training camp Wednesday with a much less experienced squad than in recent seasons. wide receiver Allen Lazard and security Adrian Amos are with Rodgers in New York. Kicker Mason Crosby, the team’s top scorer, is not expected back after the Packers’ draft Auburn kicker Anders Carlson in the sixth round.
The just packers in their thirties are punter Pat O’Donnell (32), offensive tackle David Bakhtiari (31), full-back Preston Smith (30) and centre-back De’Vondre Campbell (30).
“We’re a very different team than last year,” Murphy said. “We’ll be younger, but I’m optimistic. I obviously have a lot of faith in Matt. I think our defense will probably need to carry us a bit early in the season. I think on offense you’ll probably see a little more of Matt’s true attack. Of course, when you have a great quarterback like Aaron and someone who’s been in the league for that long, we gave him the flexibility to change plays and things in and out that really helped. But I expect a strong running and playing experience from it.”
The Packers are particularly young on offense.
The only wide receivers or tight ends in Green Bay to catch more than 13 passes last season are Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, both entering their sophomore seasons. The Packers selected Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave and Michigan State receiver Jayden Reed in the second round and added South Dakota State tight end Tucker Kraft in the third round.
“Jordan is probably going to have some ups and downs and we have young receivers, but we have a lot of talent there and I think we think – or hope – they’ll all get better and grow together,” Murphy said.
Speaking to the 7,825 shareholders who attended Monday’s meeting and the 1,200 who streamed it online, Murphy said “it was the right time” to make a quarterback change and commended general manager Brian Gutekunst for his negotiations with the Jets and for the decision to draft Love four years ago.
“He was heavily criticized for designing Jordan Love,” Murphy said. “However, this draft has now put us in a position where we feel we can be competitive over the long term. There’s an old saying in the NFL: The best time to draw a quarterback is when you don’t need one.”
The crowd of shareholders applauded as Murphy paid tribute to Rodgers, calling him “one of the greatest players in Packers history.” Gutekunst’s comment that Love is “ready to make his mark in the National Football League after patiently waiting his turn” drew a similar response.
Murphy said he anticipates Rodgers will retire “probably a year into” the quarterback’s career.
“That decision will probably be made by someone else in my position,” said Murphy, who will retire after his 70th birthday in July 2025. “But I think it would be shortly after his career officially ended.”
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