Tom Brady compliments Packers handling of Jordan Love, but misses one key issue

Football is a game of systems, of rules upon rules, with a right and wrong way of doing things. For quarterbacks, there are mere milliseconds to process the dynamic and evolving post-snap picture. Each defense has its weakness, but quarterbacks must know the right throw to make — and when to make it — before the ball is even snapped. If a quarterback hesitates, disaster awaits.

It takes time for young quarterbacks to understand and master the principles and fundamentals of professional football. The league, however, has often struggled to show patience with rookie quarterbacks. Heralded college quarterbacks are thrown into the fray long before they're ready for action. The unfortunate and ill-equipped rookies find themselves in unfavorable situations. Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson are just two of the many recent quarterbacks that were placed in situations they were not ready to navigate.

Perhaps no team in the league understands the importance of developing quarterbacks better than the Green Bay Packers.

Tom Brady praises Packers for developing Jordan Love

During an appearance on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," Tom Brady took a moment to acknowledge the Packers organization for their approach to developing quarterback Jordan Love.

"He had Aaron Rodgers to watch," Brady said. "That's the best type of training, in my opinion. Watch someone else do it at a very high level, and then try to emulate them with your own personality."

The Packers have taken time to develop quarterbacks before thrusting them into the limelight, and it has led them to decades of elite performance at the position. Aaron Rodgers, despite being a first-round pick, spent the first three years of his career on the bench, observing Brett Favre lead the team.

Green Bay followed the same template with quarterback Jordan Love, who they drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Love spent the first two years of his career on the bench behind Rodgers.

While Brady's praise for Green Bay's approach makes sense, it did also lead to a rift between Rodgers and the organization. By drafting Love, Green Bay set off a chain reaction that led to an extremely unpleased starting quarterback. The turmoil ultimately led to a blockbuster trade that sent Rodgers to the New York Jets last offseason.

Still, the move could prove to be beneficial for Green Bay in the long run — especially if Love can improve on his impressive 2023 campaign. The 25-year-old threw for 32 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions in his first year as a starter. He led Green Bay to a postseason berth and a victory against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round.

"Maybe a little bit of a [misconception] with the draft is that these players can come in and all of a sudden become this great, professional player before they've really had the training and the development," Brady said.

Brady, like Rodgers and Love, spent the early portion of his career on the bench behind a veteran. It's a common trend among the league's greatest quarterbacks. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith in 2017, and San Francisco 49ers legend Joe Montana sat behind Steve DeBerg in 1979. That one year allowed them to learn and hone their skills without being in the starting spotlight.

There are anomalies, of course. Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud stunned the league by lifting the Houston Texans to playoff contention as a rookie. More often than not, the opposite is likely to occur.

With high turnover, coaches often don't feel they have the luxury to develop quarterbacks over time. For the team's long-term outlook, however, it's likely beneficial to take the slow approach.