Green Bay sent a message when it drafted Jordan Love – we're just not sure what it was

Aaron Rodgers has Love on his side.

“He’s got more talent than any other passer in this entire draft.”

Let’s go to the tape on @jordan3love. ?#PackersDraft | #GoPackGo

?: #NFLDraft on ABC, ESPN + NFLN pic.twitter.com/7MAKHtXvbz

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) April 24, 2020

Now, he just needs to determine if the Packers still are.

The Green Bay Packers traded up in the 2020 NFL Draft, and with their first round pick, they selected Utah State quarterback Jordan Love, a head-scratching move for many, including Brian Westbrook.

“The Green Bay Packers is Aaron Rodgers’ football team … you have a guy that is going to lead you and he is a proven winner. Teams are looking for quality quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers. You telling me you don’t want to put talent around him? How about you find a way to help your quarterback?”

“I don’t have a problem w/ the Packers drafting Jordan Love. The biggest problem is that they didn’t find any other weapons to help Aaron Rodgers on the outside. … At some point Love will be the QB for GB but it’s the point they didn’t help Rodgers right now.” — @36westbrook pic.twitter.com/XCMz6RTDgL

— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) April 29, 2020

Last season, under new head coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers went 13-3. Rodgers threw for 4,002 yards, 26 touchdowns, and only 4 interceptions, an incredible season by any team and quarterback standards.

Green Bay made it to NFC Championship before losing to the San Francisco 49ers, 37-20, ending their Super Bowl aspirations. On that night, Rodgers threw for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns, but also tossed 2 interceptions.

RICHARD SHERMAN ENDS IT! #GoNiners #NFLPlayoffs @RSherman_25 pic.twitter.com/KMu4lQog11

— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2020

Even though Green Bay was one win away from the Super Bowl, the Packers made a move to draft Love with the 26th pick, a guy with tons of talent who had a bit of an uneven resume during his college career.

His sophomore season in 2018 was wildly successful. He started all 13 games, passing for 3,567 yards, 32 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions.

So Jordan Love has an absolute canon. ?

(via @jordan3love) pic.twitter.com/keCBE6XOz9

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) April 28, 2020

However, following a coaching change, Love’s stats dropped off significantly during his junior year, when he totaled 3,402 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Despite his shaky junior campaign, Green Bay pursued Love in the draft and some believe the Packers are trying to send a message to Rodgers.

In Colin Cowherd’s estimation, Rodgers’ mercurial attitude has worn thin his welcome in Green Bay.

“Why would we pick on Aaron Rodgers? Everybody likes Green Bay. Nobody picked on Favre all the time … Aaron’s a pain in the butt. He’s prickly, he can be arrogant, he’s passive aggressive, he’s an eye roller and a finger pointer.”

“Do you think we’re making stuff up about Aaron Rodgers? Or maybe he’s passive aggressive, prickly, difficult to get along with & has a big ego.”@ColinCowherd reacts to report that Matt LaFleur is tired of Aaron Rodgers: pic.twitter.com/tkfV17w4NZ

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) April 29, 2020

Piggy-backing off of Cowherd’s assertion, Skip Bayless believes Rodgers’ clock is already ticking, considering his 2019 campaign left much to be desired.

He finished the regular season with a QBR of 50.4, ranking 20th among NFL quarterbacks.

“He’s not what he used to be. Aaron Rodgers got to one Super bowl, and won only one Super Bowl almost 10 years ago. I keep saying show me something. He’s 6-7 in the postseason since that one Super Bowl run.”

“Aaron Rodgers is no longer Aaron Rodgers, he’s in decline. 3 straight years the stats have fallen and fallen. And now the two men who run the Packers, Gutekunst and LaFleur, are saying: ‘We not seeing it anymore with Aaron.'”

— @RealSkipBayless pic.twitter.com/c2Dmi1CZCq

— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) April 29, 2020

On the other hand, Rodgers himself was drafted to begin his career as a backup to Brett Favre, and Ryan Clark argues that Rodgers could be the mentor Love that Favre was not to Rodgers.

“It’s time for him to put on his happy face and prove all of us wrong, to be the mentor that Brett Farve never was. To show this guy that we see sometimes in post game press conferences – who is a little disgruntled, who is a little uninspiring, can be a guy that inspires because that is the type of talent that Aaron Rodgers has.”

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Adam Schefter thinks Green Bay’s goal is exactly that – to push Rodgers into a situation where he can push Love.

“They can take their time grooming Jordan Love. He’s 21 years old – they don’t have to rush him along. They will want to have Aaron Rodgers going along playing for the next couple years … there’s no rush right now.”

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