Jordan Love left the Packers season opener with an injury in a 34-29 loss to the Eagles
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love was forced to leave Friday's season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles after suffering an apparent injury to his left lower leg. The injury occurred during the Packers' 34-29 loss at the Estadio do Morumbi in Sao Paulo, Brazil, part of the NFL International Series
Love was clearly in pain as he was taken down by a combination of Eagles defenders. He needed help getting off the field, and head athletic trainer Nate Weir and teammate Josh Jacobs helped him walk toward him. Although Love seemed to be doing relatively well on her way to the locker room, she needed help and showed signs of discomfort. The extent of his injuries remains unclear.
In the postgame press conference, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was asked twice about the status of his starting quarterback. Both times, LaFleur was able to provide a simple, simple statement, "I don't know," indicating that further medical testing would be required before any more conclusive information could be provided
Prem was unable to speak to the media after the game, leaving his teammates and coaches to speculate on his status. But wide receiver Christian Watson expressed confidence in Love’s resilience and ability to recover.
"We know the kind of guy Jordan is and how dedicated he is to the game," Watson said. "Regardless of the injury, I'm sure he'll push through. We're all behind him and we'll get through this as a team."
The injury led to what was likely Love's final play of the game, as the Packers were in the midst of a last-ditch comeback attempt With less than 30 seconds on the clock, Love finished with 33 -yard pass to wide receiver Jaden Reed to the Packers' 49-yard line . On the next play, Love dropped back to pass again, but was quickly met by Eagles defensive tackle Jaylen Carter and outside linebacker Josh Sweatt. After attempting to deflect the ball to running back Josh Jacobs, Love appeared to twist his leg as he was brought down.
Malik Willis, whom the Packers recently acquired via trade from the Tennessee Titans, was involved for the final two snapshots of the game, which ended up incomplete and in the pocket Currently the only other quarterback with the Packers under contract with Sean Clifford. Though Clifford was released in the final roster cut last month, the team re-signed him to the academy soon after. If Love’s injury keeps him sidelined for any length of time, the Packers will be forced to rely on either Willis or Clifford in the coming weeks.
The injury came at an unfortunate time for Love, who signed a four-year, $220 million contract extension in late July and enters this season as one of the league's highest-paid players with the highest paid NFL quarterbacks The pledge was retracted. Friday's game was Love's first in-season appearance since signing the contract, and he played little in the preseason, just three snaps in the opener and none in an exhibition game in the last two
Love’s teammates were vocal in their support after the game. Defensive lineman Kenny Clark, one of the Packers' veteran leaders, emphasized Love's importance to the team's success.
"He's our franchise quarterback right there," Clark said. "We all hope it's not serious and he can get back out with us next week. We need him."
Despite the injury, Love’s performance was solid. He completed 17 of 34 passes for 260 yards and threw two touchdown passes with one interception. The command of the offense and the ability to spread plays had given the Packers a fighting chance against a solid Eagles defense.
The Packers will now await further medical tests to determine the severity of Love’s injury and his availability for their upcoming game. Until then, the team and its fans will hold their breath, hoping for a speedy recovery of their star quarterback
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