GREEN BAY, Wis. — On the primary day of coaching camp this summer season, Matt LaFleur tried one thing totally different. After the one hour, 36-minute observe, the Inexperienced Bay Packers coach known as the crew collectively in the midst of Ray Nitschke Area.
He shared his ideas on the observe, went over the schedule for the remainder of the day and stepped out of the middle of the huddle as common.
Then he mentioned nothing.
“Up to now, I might name on a selected particular person to interrupt it down,” LaFleur mentioned in a latest interview with ESPN. “This time, I simply wished to see who took it. And the primary time the entire crew was right here, he took it. So I used to be like, ‘There we go.'”
The “he” was quarterback Jordan Love.
And that is how his third season as a starter started.
It was precisely the type of step LaFleur had been in search of ever since he challenged Love after final season to develop into extra vocal, although the No. 26 draft choose within the 2020 draft led the Packers to the playoffs every of his first two seasons because the beginning quarterback.
If it took Love a while to get so far, it was by design — proper out of the Packers’ quarterback improvement handbook. Love sat behind future Corridor of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers for 3 years earlier than taking on because the starter. Almost twenty years in the past, Rodgers waited his flip behind Corridor of Famer Brett Favre for 3 years. In Rodgers’ third season because the starter, the Packers received the Tremendous Bowl.
Regardless of the success the Packers have had with this strategy, it didn’t begin a development across the NFL the place groups take a quarterback within the first spherical and let him sit for a number of seasons.
“Present me a crew since then that has carried out that,” a high-ranking personnel govt from one other crew mentioned. “There are not any. Everybody says, ‘That is the best way we should always do it, like Inexperienced Bay.’ However nobody ever does.”
The Packers’ opponent on Thursday evening at Lambeau Area (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video) definitely didn’t. The Washington Commanders made rookie Jayden Daniels their starter from the get-go, and it labored for them. The No. 2 choose within the 2024 draft helped flip a 4-13 crew right into a 12-5 squad that reached the NFC Championship Recreation, and Daniels received Offensive Rookie of the 12 months.
“I have been round excessive draft picks; they really feel they’ve all of the solutions,” Commanders tight finish Zach Ertz mentioned. “Jayden was the exact opposite. He is asking me about sure performs, why I ran a sure route this time, how may the timing be a little bit higher. It was the humility that stood out to me.”
It would not often go that easily.
“It is often the high-pick guys that come into conditions the place there’s like zero likelihood for achievement,” LaFleur mentioned.
Daniels, nevertheless, was proof that it could actually work.
“A man like Jayden Daniels, he got here in and they are going to form the offense precisely to his strengths and ability set,” mentioned Steve Calhoun, Love’s private quarterback coach since his highschool days. “When these guys are available day one they usually are available with a brand new teaching workers, like [Tennessee Titans’ No. 1 pick] Cam Ward this yr, they are going to construct the offense precisely to his strengths.
“Jordan’s state of affairs, he got here in behind Aaron and the offense is just not tailor-made to Jordan. And so he needed to discover ways to play within the footsteps or in resemblance of how coach LaFleur was calling the sport for Aaron.”
Of the six quarterbacks drafted within the first spherical final season, all however one began video games as a rookie. Solely Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy, who missed final season with a torn proper meniscus, didn’t.
“It may be a vicious cycle,” mentioned a VP of participant personnel for one more crew. “Most groups who draft quarterbacks want them to play as a result of they lack the competency on the roster, which limits the possibility to slowly develop them into that function, which may result in poor play, and on and on it goes.
“Inexperienced Bay, by likelihood or by plan, positioned themselves to deal with the event curves as a result of [Rodgers] was nonetheless there. No [Rodgers], and I am positive Love is beginning Day 1.”
And what would’ve occurred if Love needed to play instantly?
“I do not know,” Love mentioned. “Who is aware of?”
To do it the Packers’ means, a longtime quarterback should be in place.
“The No. 1 factor is most of them haven’t got a Corridor of Fame quarterback that is beginning for you, that is enjoying at an MVP-type stage,” mentioned Packers common supervisor Brian Gutekunst, who drafted Love. “When you may have that, it is very simple to take a seat a participant like that.”
In any other case, it is practically unimaginable.
“It’s totally onerous to not put that man within the sport as a result of there is a bunch of different gamers that need to win, too,” Gutekunst mentioned.
It additionally helped Gutekunst that he doesn’t have a single overbearing proprietor questioning why a first-round choose is not enjoying.
“Our possession construction permits us to do what we predict is finest for the long run, which perhaps not each group has that potential to do,” Gutekunst mentioned.
Mentioned LaFleur: “Gutey and I’ve talked about it many instances: You have to play these guys, particularly at that place, once they’re prepared. However I do not suppose individuals have the endurance to do it.”
Within the Packers’ case, their endurance paid off, and 6 years later, there was Love taking cost of the crew breakdown on Day 1.
“It is simply him maturing and seeing that chance to have his voice heard,” Calhoun mentioned. “I do not suppose final yr, perhaps initially of the season, was that point. And even the yr earlier than. I believe Jordan does an excellent job of analyzing the entire thing and seeing when his voice and when it is his time to be that chief.”
ESPN Commanders reporter John Keim contributed to this story.
