Jason La Canfora: Why This Could Finally Be Jordan Love’s MVP Season

Packers quarterback Jordan Love might always be haunted or overshadowed by the passers who came before him in Green Bay.

Escaping the Shadows of Rodgers and Favre

Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre brought the Lombardi Trophy home to Titletown and they carved Hall of Fame careers that were punctuated by eye-popping moments of brilliance and individual acts of football gunslinging that reverberated for generations. 

Everything is a little different in this Wisconsin outpost, where people still park in a stranger’s driveway or garage on gameday and the Super Bowl trophy is named after their former head coach. 

Their original dynasty helped catapult the National Football League (NFL) into its modern era of dominating the sports scene in America.

Coupling all of that with the fact that Love has been able to uncork ridiculous throws to rival his predecessors, he has also put on sporadic displays of wizardry with the nation tuned in, including in the playoffs.

He did get rewarded with a hefty contract very early in his starting career, and it’s the perfect backdrop for outsized expectations and, perhaps, some level of criticism.

Love might be the NFC’s version of Justin Herbert – the Chargers quarterback with unbridled ability who has come up short when it matters most – only with more of a postseason pedigree. 

Building Momentum in Matt LaFleur’s Offense

Love’s talent and the continued regular-season success of the Packers under coach Matt LaFleur is enough to make every summer feel like the one that will be a springboard to a championship season or a real MVP run for the quarterback. 

I have certainly fallen for it before, and this could be the year for Love and the Packers to accomplish more than ever before.

Love made significant strides last season, albeit again injured for part of the season. He tends to finish seasons strong (Love ranks sixth among all quarterbacks with a 103.4 rating from Week 10 over his three seasons as a starter, and his 40 touchdowns to 7 interceptions in that span is best in football). 

If the Packers can get pass-rush guru Micah Parsons back and healthy for the playoff push, momentum might be on their side. Love also needs tight end Tucker Kraft to return from a season-ending injury and be close to himself, but I wouldn’t rule out this being the quarterback’s best campaign yet.

“I think they paid him more than they probably had to,” said one NFL general manager this offseason. “I don’t see him the same way you do (as a potential MVP) … But he’s a really good quarterback. He made better decisions with the football last year. He’s maturing.”

The Key to an MVP Run: Health and Consistency

Durability will always be a concern with Love, until it’s not. For as athletic as he is, his legs are not as much of his regular skill set as some execs thought it might be. 

The former first-round pick cut his interception percentage down to 1.4%, a career low (2.0% for his career) and his turnover-worthy throws were a career-low 2.1% (3.0% for his career), and his Extra Points Added (EPA) against the blitz hit new highs as well.

Those are significant steps forward.

The ability to throw the deep ball has always been there. After years of carrying seemingly a never-ending collection of jumbled and similar receivers, more of a division of labor seemed to sort out last season and Kraft was emerging as a true difference maker. 

Kraft was the all-important go-to guy – before he got hurt. Those are all positive signs, too. One advance scout who has seen Love at his best suggested this as the year he throws for 35 touchdowns (averaging over two per game) and avoids the double-digit interceptions that have plagued him.

Love turns 28 midway through this season, with three years of regular starts to his name; this should truly be his prime. 

Green Bay carries unique pressure with it, with its quarterbacking history legendary. Love might never quite reach those heights, but the best is still to come, starting this season.