Jordan Love is going to be just fine as the Green Bay Packers ' starting quarterback for years to come, according to former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson.
Love is preparing for his first season as the Packers' starting quarterback in what will be a new look offense with Aaron Rodgers ' imminent trade to the New York Jets believed to be inching closer. Receiver Allen Lazard has already departed the franchise, and Love will be relying on the likes of Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs to pick up where they left off after solid rookie seasons.
The 24-year-old quarterback has the full backing of head coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst, and that's not surprising after he was selected 26th overall by the Packers in the 2020 NFL Draft. But former Super Bowl champion and three-time Pro Bowl star Johnson is also a fan of the youngster.
After relying on Rodgers for over a decade, it's going to be a strange year for the Packers as they head into a new era. But this day was always coming, and Love has been patiently waiting for his opportunity as a starter.
No one is expecting Love to come in and lead the Packers to the Super Bowl, but Johnson thinks that he will come in and "win games" from the off. "I think he’s gonna be alright. Yeah I think he’s going to be good. I think he will be an NFL starting quarterback," Johnson said on ESPN's Keyshawn, JWill, and Max show.
"Not an NFL starting quarterback by default, but an NFL starting quarterback that’s going to win games. I’m not saying he’s gonna win Super Bowls and MVPs, but I’m saying I think he’s going to be an NFL starting quarterback that they are going to be happy with over the next eight years or so."
Johnson offered the caveat that he hasn't seen enough of Love to offer a fair judgement, but claimed that what he has observed has been very positive. "Well, the little bit that I’ve seen is his ball placement and accuracy is there. In rhythm, he’s not hesitant. he’s calm in the pocket you know.
"You can tell when quarterbacks need to get rid of the ball. He’s not. Everything is smooth, everything is aligned perfectly. When I watch him against, for instance, the Kansas City Chiefs I watched him throw a corner out. He hit his back foot in rhythm.
"His receiver gets open, he places it to the sideline right where it should be. It wasn’t behind the receiver. The receiver wasn’t twisting and turning. He was able to catch it and turn and score a touchdown, that to me is a plus.
"I watched him also on a little stick route. I watched him hit him boom right there in the bread basket. You can just tell that he knows how to do everything from a perfect standpoint."
