28 February 2023 , 15:23
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Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love has been questioned for his lack of leadership, as he continues to sit on the bench while Aaron Rodgers continues his tenure at Lambeau Field.
There's been a lot of speculation over Rodgers' future ahead of next season, and according to Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, he is yet to tell them his plans. There have been calls for Love to be given the starting role if Rodgers does not return, but his self belief has been scrutinised by NFL host Colin Cowherd.
Love is still only 24, but joined the Packers in 2020 as an understudy to Rodgers. That was always going to be the case, but his lack of ambition to go out and play is worrying Cowherd, who compared him to quarterbacks of a similar age.
It's still not yet known who will start for the Packers next season, although according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, Green Bay will welcome Rodgers back with open arms as long as he wants to return, and is happy to comply with the direction the franchise is going in.
On the flip side, Gutekunst seems happy for Love to be given a go, as he said at the NFL combine: "I think he’s ready to play and I think he’s ready to be an NFL starting quarterback." But this has been questioned by Cowherd, who doesn't see things the same way.
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"My big question is Jordan Love," said Cowherd. "There's never been a quarterback in my recent memory that's sat for four full years and became a starter.
"Aaron sat for three, but it was a different time. College quarterbacks came in a lot more raw... kids now have like 10,000 passes by the time they're 16 years old.
"But Jordan Love in this generation, can you imagine Joe Burrow sitting for four years? My question is in 2023, if Jordan Love is a franchise guy he's not going to sit for another year... so my question is, I don't know if he has the leadership?
"Jalen Hurts didn't sit at Alabama, he went to Oklahoma. Burrow didn't want to sit, so he went to LSU. That tells me you're a leader, that tells me you have confidence and self belief.
"If you're the leader and the player you can be, you're not sitting on the bench for four years." Love was brought in at an extremely young age, and very few quarterbacks can replace Rodgers.
It's likely that he will see what Rodgers decides to do this season before making a decision, and the prospect of taking over from the veteran in the future is certainly appealing. There are also very few mentors as good as Rodgers to learn from, so his patience may pay off.