Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur says the team doesn’t plan to put Jordan Love on injured reserve, an indication the quarterback could return relatively soon.
Love injured his left medial collateral ligament in the final minute of the Packers’ season-opening 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday in Brazil. If the Packers placed Love on injured reserve, he would have to miss at least four games.
LaFleur provided even more optimism while describing the Packers’ quarterback situation for Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts (0-1). Although the MCL injury is expected to sideline Love for multiple games, LaFleur said Monday the Packers would start Malik Willis with Sean Clifford as the backup “if Jordan’s not cleared.”
“I couldn’t give you a percentage, but if he gets cleared, we’ll give him every opportunity like we always will,” LaFleur said Monday. “I know he’s doing everything in his power. I know he’s spending a lot of time trying to get back as soon as possible. But certainly we’re not going to put him in a position where if he can’t protect himself, that he’d go out there.”
Love’s injury occurred on the third-to-last play of the Eagles game after he threw a backward pass to Josh Jacobs while facing major pressure from Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter and Josh Sweat. Carter was lying down and had a hold of Love’s left leg when Sweat pushed the quarterback to the ground.
LaFleur acknowledged feeling relieved Love’s injury wasn’t more serious. Love, 25, signed a four-year, $220 million contract extension this summer after leading the NFL’s youngest team to a 10-9 record and NFC divisional playoff appearance as a first-year starter last season.
“I felt a little confident since he was moving,” LaFleur said. “He said obviously he was in pain, but I wasn’t even going to go there in my mind until I knew one way or the other, and thankfully we got some relatively good news.”
