26 August 2023 , 00:24
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Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love withstood trash talk from cornerback Jaire Alexander throughout the offseason, and Alexander finally gave him credit for his mental fortitude this week.
"I didn't see Jordan get rattled at all," Alexander told reporters. "I'm always talking to him, trying to get in his head, but I don't think it works."
The banter is not mean-spirited, though it can sometimes sound that way, like when Alexander yelled at Love to "wake up" during open training earlier this summer. Instead, it's an attempt from the Pro Bowl defensive back to make the quarterback unflappable before his first season as the Packers starter.
Love has shown himself to be patient with the chirping, which his team is pleased to see before he ventures into perhaps the most hostile Week 1 environment imaginable: a road tilt against the rival Chicago Bears. Opposing fans will inundate Love with nasty jeers during that game.
Obviously, the attempts to build up Love's emotional armor are in stark contrast to how things worked last year. It's hard to imagine Alexander treating Aaron Rodgers similarly at practice. After all, veteran quarterbacks often lead the locker room and can be sensitive to perceived disrespect.
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But Love doesn't pretend to have the unquestioned authority of his predecessor. He knows he must earn it this year.
"I don't try to do too much," said Love during OTAs. "It's going to take time to grow into that role. I just keep trying to take it day by day. Be a voice that guys come to me and ask questions. I'm still young as well, so I ask all the vets questions all the time."
Jordan Love has dealt with trash talk from teammate Jaire Alexander throughout the offseason. (Getty Images)Love texted teammates between OTAs and training camp to set up spontaneous throw-and-catch sessions. After sitting behind Rodgers for three years, he wanted to build chemistry with the receiving corps. Not only determining the exact moment when targets break in their routes, but also what makes them tick off the field.
Still, Love emphasised that much of the Packers' offseason growth came from the sparring between his offence and a defensive secondary led by Alexander and cornerback Rasul Douglas.
"Those are two of the league's top corners right there," Love told reporters. "It's great for the receivers, it's great for me, it's great for everybody [to have that training competition]. ... It's going to make everybody better. You get challenged a little bit more."
Asked about Alexander mouthing off after intercepting him, Love said, "Yeah, he always does [that]. He made a really good play, though. He baited me into it." Then, the quarterback smiled and added, "But we would've tackled him down and got the ball back [in a real game]."
Despite their back-and-forth throughout the past few months, Alexander is one of Love's biggest fans, a firm believer that the ex-Utah State passer can prove doubters wrong in 2023.
He illustrated that faith after a practice in June, interrupting Love's conversation with reporters to shout, "QB1! Best QB in the league. Y'all tell him to stop trying me."