NFL potpourri column with thoughts from three Hall of Famers. Terry Bradshaw isn't shy on Aaron Rodgers, Charles Woodson shares his insight on the Jordan Love decision.
The reason GM Ted Thompson so confidently, so decisively moved on from Brett Favre the summer of 2008 was that he knew exactly what the Packers had in a young Rodgers.
It was time. The 24th overall pick in ‘05 was ready.
So, that’s the other important variable in this equation: Is Jordan Love ready?
Hall of Fame cornerback Charles Woodson was in Green Bay for this transition. Even though Favre had just led the Packers to a 13-3 record and the NFC Championship Game, the vets on defense knew Rodgers was ready to be The Guy because they faced him every day in practice.
There’s little guesswork internally. Woodson assumes these Packers already know if Love is prepared to be the starter in 2023.
The former Utah State quarterback has spent three seasons facing his own teammates on the scout team while all of the other QBs in his class — Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts — learned on the job.
“He’s been there quite a while,” Woodson says. “You mention A-Rod and myself being there. Coming in there in 2006 and being on the other side of him and watching him develop and progress as a player — watching his wheels turn as a player, standing behind Brett and taking what he could from him and playing against the No. 1 defense. Myself, Al Harris, Nick Collins, those guys. Watching him progressively get better. He was already talented. So I think this team — the coaches, the players — if you were to ask a young Jaire, who would take my place going against A-Rod. Him going against Jordan Love. Does he think he’s ready? Does he think he has these certain attributes? I think you would find out a little more. I wish I was in there myself. I’ve got to imagine everybody in that building knows whether or not they have the confidence in him. I think that’ll determine their decision going forward with how they try to handle Aaron’s situation.”
There were only “two snippets” for the rest of us to study, he adds.
The start vs. Kansas City in 2021. (Remember when Troy Aikman acted like Love was T.J. Rubley, only 100 times worse?)
“I don’t feel like he was put in the best position as a quarterback to succeed that game,” Woodson says.
And the relief duty vs. Philadelphia in 2022. Love was excellent in defeat, completing 6 of 9 passes for 113 yards with a touchdown. Two of those incompletions were drops, too: a back-shoulder dime to Aaron Jones and a potential TD to Randall Cobb.
“In that game, that’s what you want to see. You saw his growth. You saw him get to the proper reads. You saw him go to the right players and move the ball down the field. I thought he looked comfortable. He used his legs a little bit as well. Using those talents. So those two snippets contrast but you saw the progression from one to the other — that’s a good sign.
“Do I think he’s ready? I think the people in the building know.”
The Packers have quite a bit of soul searching to do this spring — even beyond the quarterback position. Aaron Rodgers regressed in 2022, but the Packers’ defense was also a major disappointment. Hey, we’ve got to admit when we’re dead wrong in this space. I picked the Packers to make the Super Bowl, in large part because of the defense. Instead, in that same 40-33 loss to the Eagles, coordinator Joe Barry’s unit surrendered 363 rushing yards. Only two other times has a team rushed for more yards against Green Bay — the 1955 Bears (406) and 1977 Bears (375).
To Woodson, this isn’t exactly a new problem.
“The problem I have is they’re a good team, a talented team but it seems like it’s always the run that always affects them,” Woodson says. “Right when they need to be stout in the run game, teams are able to run on them and it just puts them behind the eight ball. I think skill-wise, their skill positions are very good. They’ve got some young, talented guys. But, man, they’ve got to be able to stop the run and stop people from running up the middle of the defense.”
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