5 Questions for LeRoy Butler: Discussion about Jordan Love’s injury and the Colts
LeRoy Butler makes his picks for Week 2, talks about Jordan Love’s chances of being on the field against the Colts, and what went wrong against the Eagles.
Will Jordan Love play in the Green Bay Packers’ Week 2 game against the Indianapolis Colts?
However, that did not seem possible after Love was found lying on the court at Arena Corinthians and needing assistance to get to the sidelines and locker room following his team’s 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener last Friday night in São Paulo, Brazil.
A season-ending ACL tear was quickly ruled out, giving the team and fans a sigh of relief, but immediate reports on Love’s sprained MCL suggested he would be out of action for several weeks, reportedly in the 3-6 week range. However, the Packers seemed more confident about Love’s prognosis and that he could return to action sooner than originally reported.
Head coach Matt LaFleur is probably just keeping opponents guessing, but on Wednesday he said that Love’s appearance on Sunday was not an option.
What’s new on Love’s injury? Here’s what we know.
How bad is Jordan Love’s injury?
Love suffered a strained medial ligament in his left knee after being tackled by two Philadelphia Eagles defenders on first down at the Eagles’ 47-yard line as he attempted to keep a play alive late in the game.
Coaches helped him off the field while his teammates surrounded him.
The Packers have largely remained tight-lipped about the severity of Love’s sprain, but have not placed him on the injured list, which would have sidelined him for at least four games.
Dr. Mark Wichman, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Aurora Health Care who has no direct knowledge of Love’s case, told the Journal Sentinel he expected a quarterback with this type of injury to be out for several weeks.
See when Jordan Love was injured
Does Jordan Love have a torn medial ligament?
Yes, but it is unclear to what extent. There are three types of grades or stages of MCL injury.
Based on the team’s decision not to place Love on the injured list, it appears that Love’s tear is not the worst.
An MCL sprain occurs when the ligament is stretched or torn. Grade I involves a stretch of the MCL or a mild tear. Grade II is a partial tear and Grade III is a complete tear.
Former Packers running back Aaron Jones missed three games and nearly a month last year with the same injury. This was Jones’ fourth career MCL injury, and he missed at least one game each time.
How many games will Jordan Love miss?
It is unknown how long Love will be out.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported Saturday that Love’s return was expected to be three to six weeks away. PackersNews reported Love was expected to be out for a “couple” of weeks.
But as the week went on, LaFleur seemed more optimistic, even though Love did not participate in practice on Wednesday.
“I’d say it’s pretty open,” LaFleur said Wednesday when asked if there’s a possibility Love could play Sunday. “He’s doing a good job. He spends a lot of time in the training room. … But he’s got to be cleared. We’ve got to feel like he can protect himself, and he’s got to be confident enough to go out there and do that.”
LaFleur added that Love does not need to practice this week to be eligible to play again.
Who is the Packers’ backup quarterback?
Malik Willis will take Love’s place while he is out.
Willis was acquired by the Packers in a trade with the Tennessee Titans at the end of training camp in late August. He played the final two snaps on Friday. His first pass was incomplete and he was sacked on the final play of the game.
“If Jordan doesn’t get cleared, we’ll start with Malik and Sean will be the backup,” LaFleur said Tuesday, referring to Willis and Sean Clifford, who would be promoted from the practice squad in that likely scenario.
Willis, 25, was selected by Liberty in the third round of the 2022 draft. Willis played in eight games, including three starts as a rookie with the Titans, and served exclusively as a backup in 2023.
Green Bay Packers 2024 schedule
Can the Packers (0-1) stay afloat if Love is out for an extended period?
Here’s a look at their schedule for the next six weeks.
- Week 2 – Sunday, September 15 vs. Indianapolis Colts, 12:00 p.m.
- Week 3 – Sunday, September 22, 12:00 p.m. at the Tennessee Titans
- Week 4 – Sunday, September 29th vs. Minnesota Vikings, 12:00 p.m.
- Week 5 – Sunday, Oct. 6 at Los Angeles Rams, 3:25 p.m.
- Week 6 – Sunday, Oct. 13 vs. Arizona Cardinals, 12:00 p.m.
- Week 7 – Sunday, Oct. 20 vs. Houston Texans, 12:00 p.m.
