Packers QB1 to start training camp will create urgency with Jordan Love

Once again, the Green Bay Packers are in a contract dispute with their star quarterback. After years of offseason drama with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, quarterback Jordan Love is conducting a "hold in" after thriving in his first full season as a starter.

Although Love is present at training camp to avoid fines, his agent has made it clear to Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst that Love will not practice until he receives a new contract. While Green Bay irons out the details of a new contract with Love, the Packers will be forced to rely on two young quarterbacks splitting work with the starters.

Packers offense in dire straits without Jordan Love

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that second-year quarterback Sean Clifford and seventh-round draft pick Michael Pratt will equally split starting reps at training camp practice while Love remains on the sideline. Clifford is expected to get the first shot at being the starter, according to Packers reporter Ross Uglem.

LaFleur mentioned that offensive assistant Sean Mannion, who joined the staff as a coach after a nine-year NFL career, could take snaps if necessary. It's never a good sign any time the idea of an assistant coach taking snaps is floated out as a realistic idea.

Love reported to training camp and will take part in meetings, but the offense will have trouble moving the ball on the practice field with Clifford under helm. For Green Bay, it would be wise to get Love back on the field as quickly as possible.

Love emerged as the team's next franchise quarterback after putting together a stellar campaign in 2023. Despite a slow start to the year, Love finished the final eight games of the season with 2,150 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and just one interception.

The floor for Love's contract likely includes an average annual value of $50 million. Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence cleared that figure with their extensions this offseason, and there's no reason to believe Love doesn't deserve a similar contract after his extraordinary 2023 season.

There are some signs for concerns, however. The single season is quite a small sample size for such a large contract, and the first half of the 2023 campaign didn't go too well for Love. Through the first nine games of the season, Love completed just 58.7 percent of his passes for 2,009 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His interception to close out the loss against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round was also showed signs of poor decision-making in crucial moments.