Packers won't place Love on IR as Willis prepares to start Sunday's game against the Colts

Updated Sep. 9, 2024 6:13 p.m. ET

Associated Press

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — 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."

Willis had played the final two snaps of the Eagles game after Love’s departure.

The Packers acquired Willis from the Tennessee Titans for a 2025 seventh-round pick in a trade that was announced Aug. 27. Willis has picked up the offense fast enough to get the nod ahead of Clifford, the Packers’ 2023 fifth-round pick from Penn State.

“I think he’s put a lot of time and effort into this thing,” LaFleur said. “He’s grinded, he’s learned the terminology and is able to spit out the play calls, and we’ve got confidence in him. I think if he’s given a full week of preparation, a full week of practice, I’ve got confidence he’ll go out there and perform at a high level.”

Willis might not be quite as familiar with the system as Clifford, but the 2022 third-round pick from Liberty has more game experience. Willis made three starts his rookie season, though he didn’t throw for as many as 100 yards in any of them. Clifford has thrown one career regular-season pass.

The Packers cut Clifford and quarterback Michael Pratt — a rookie seventh-round selection from Tulane — the day they announced the acquisition of Willis. They later brought Clifford back onto their practice squad.

LaFleur said the Packers didn’t seriously consider signing another quarterback after Love’s injury.

“You explore every possibility, but at no point in time did we ever have any discussions with anybody,” LaFleur said.

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