Jordan Love Will Not Go on IR
On Thursday night, Jordan Love went down with a scary injury against the Philadelphia Eagles. Since then, sports fans, celebrities, and analysts have wondered what the Packers will do while Love recovers. Well, the Pack have made their choice. Even though Malik Willis looked lost out on the field in his limited snaps, he will be starting against the Indianapolis Colts next week. Sean Clifford was elevated from the Packers practice squad to serve as backup. Love should take time to return from his injury, and maybe the team can pull off some wins with Willis and Clifford holding down the fort.
The Packers announced on September 9th that they will not place Love on IR. This news is a good sign that his injury should not take six weeks to recover and that Love could return sooner rather than later. Love avoided severe injury, allowing the Packers to try to make a run this year and finally win the Super Bowl. The next couple of weeks will be a test for the team, and the young offense will have to make do with a backup quarterback. The defense must improve to allow them to win because the offensive production will suffer, especially early in games.
It would be a success if Willis could win one or two games out of the next couple. This is an opportunity for Malik to prove himself and solidify his place as the backup quarterback behind Jordan Love. I would not be surprised if he does not prove himself, and the Packers are forced to start Sean Clifford instead. It would make little sense to sign Ryan Tannehill and add another player to the roster or trade for someone because Love will hopefully not be out for an extended period. The Packers will have to experience for a little bit how other fan bases deal with uncertain quarterback play. Love has overcome adversity from sitting behind Aaron Rodgers for three years, fan pressure to perform, and internal pressure from himself. Love proved he deserved to be paid last year and Packer fans will see what it is like without a franchise quarterback at the helm for a period of time. He will be back and better than ever, and the league should fear his return.
