Vikings

Will the Packers' Jordan Love Pick Haunt the Vikings Down the Road?

Jan 25, 2020; Mobile, AL, USA; North quarterback Jordan Love of Utah State (5) runs from pressure in the second half of the 2020 Senior Bowl college football game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Many Vikings fans laughed when the Green Bay Packers opted not to address a need like a wide receiver in Round 1 of the NFL Draft and instead chose to get their quarterback of the future in Jordan Love. While it may not pay any dividends for the Packers in Years 1 and 2, could this be a move that will haunt the Vikings for the next decade?

The bRett Favre Era

The Packers have had the benefit of quarterback stability for the last 28 years. It started back in 1992 when the team traded a first-round pick for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Brett Favre. Favre came in and with his gun-slinging style transformed the Packers into a perennial playoff contender. Under Favre, the Packers went 171-101 over his 16 years with the club.

They made the playoffs 11 times and appeared in the Super Bowl twice, winning it in 1996. Favre had a 17-15 career record versus the Vikings with one of those losses coming in the playoffs. He was always tough against the Purple, throwing for 7,379 yards with 54 touchdowns and 33 interceptions. When he was the quarterback of the Packers no lead was safe, and the team was always considered a contender. In 2005, the Packers shocked the world. They held the 24th pick that year, and despite having a future Hall of Fame quarterback on the roster, took Cal’s Aaron Rodgers when he fell to them. The Packers were ridiculed for using their first pick on a player who would spend the early part of his career on the bench, but the move proved to be a wise one.

The Aaron Rodgers era
Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

In 2008, Rodgers became the full-time starter for the Packers. Favre retired for the first time after the 2007 season, and it was time for the former first-round pick to prove he was worth the 24th overall choice in 2005. The Vikings were hoping he fell for a reason and would be a bust, but again the Packers found quarterback gold. Rodgers picked up where Favre left off and lead the Packers to the playoffs nine times, winning the Super Bowl in 2010. He was even better against the Vikings than Favre was with a 14-8-1 record. In 23 games against the Vikings, he’s thrown for 5,475 yards with 43 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. That’s good for a 107.2 passer rating.

With Rodgers leading the Packers offense no game was ever over until the final clock read 0:00. He had a knack for willing his team back into games with 16 fourth-quarter comebacks and 23 game-winning drives in his career. Rodgers is still going strong, and there’s no reason to think he won’t keep quarterbacking the green and gold for the next few seasons, much to the chagrin of the Vikings and their fans. His heir apparent is on the roster, but the Packers don’t have to rush him on the field anytime soon.

The Jordan Love era

All this begs the question: Will the Packers go three for three on finding long term quarterbacks? Jordan Love has plenty of potential but isn’t seen as a prospect like Rodgers or Favre. Rodgers was widely expected to be the first quarterback taken back in 2005, while Love’s draft projection was all over the map. After the combine, he was projected to go in the top 10, but as the draft approached many wondered if he would even be taken in Round 1. The Packers moved up to get him, and now he’s in line to be the next great Green Bay quarterback.

Love has impressive career numbers in his years at Utah State. He threw for 8,600 yards with 60 touchdowns to 29 interceptions. The silver lining for the Vikings is that 17 of those interceptions came just a year ago, so there are questions about his overall accuracy and decision-making. Like Rodgers and Favre, he can create extra time in the pocket with his mobility, and also pick up yardage on the ground as he ran for 403 yards and nine touchdowns in college. There’s no doubt he is a talented player, and that ability to create extra time is always a concern for opponents.

While it was easy to mock the Packers for taking a quarterback when they had more pressing needs like wide receiver, the Vikings should be wary of this move. The Packers have done this before and have had unbelievable success. They haven’t always been the most talented team in the NFC North, but consistently having an elite level quarterback on their roster has made them competitive every single season for the last 28 years.

Love has many of the same traits that made both Rodgers and Favre great, and while he will need time to sit and learn, he’ll get that in Green Bay. If he can develop as the Packers think, the Vikings will again have to worry about facing Green Bay’s starting quarterback twice a year for the next decade.

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Jan 25, 2020; Mobile, AL, USA; North quarterback Jordan Love of Utah State (5) runs from pressure in the second half of the 2020 Senior Bowl college football game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

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