Brett Favre perfectly explains why the Packers drafting Jordan Love makes no sense
By Josh Hill
Brett Favre is still trying to figure out why the Green Bay Packers drafted Jordan Love.
Who better than Brett Favre to have perspective on what it’s like to be a franchise icon slowly getting pushed out. While it’s not quite a Joe Pesci in Goodfellas moment, Favre observed his former team drafting Aaron Rodgers eventual replacement with as much surprise as everyone else.
Bewilderment more specifically describes what Favre’s reaction.
“I was a little bewildered at the pick,” Favre told Da Windy City podcast. “Nothing against Jordan Love.”
It’s not the fact that the Packers drafted who many assume to be Rodgers’ replacement, it’s when and how they did it. Favre is obviously no stranger to being ousted as a franchise star as Rodgers was drafted in 2005 as the heir to the Packers quarterback throne.
But for those scratching their heads at the Packers decision to choose 2020 as the year to begin the process of replacing Rodgers, Favre identified crucial differences between what happened to him and what’s happening now as evidence that fans should be justified in their angst.
“The situation presently with the Packers is much different than when we drafted Aaron Rodgers when I was the starting quarterback. We were coming off of a bad year, we didn’t trade up to get Aaron,” Favre said. “The difference this year is, [the Packers] were a player or two away from the Super Bowl. So you’d think with that in mind you’d go for an immediate need. Someone who can get us there now.”
Favre’s right. Replacing Rodgers is one thing but the Packers making that move less than three months removed from being a game away from the Super Bowl is mindboggling. Contrary to Favre’s comment, Rodgers was drafted by Green Bay following a winning season but one in which the Packers were bounced in the Wild Card round. But the Packers didn’t trade up to draft Rodgers and only selected him when he famously fell to them in the late first-round.
While it’s a monumentous pick in hindsight, there was no design heading into the 2005 draft for the Packers to replace Favre; mere luck changed the course of history. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Jordan Love, as the Packers not only traded up to get him but did so at the expense of adding a player that might help Green Bay win a Super Bowl now.
Love may end up working out and carrying on the tradition of great Packers quarterbacks, but the deck is already stacked against him.