Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love will start the team’s preseason opener against the host Cleveland Browns on Saturday, coach Matt LaFleur announced.
“I think there’s a lot of value in going through and getting your mind right to play a football game,” LaFleur said Tuesday. He added that the team has a plan in place for how much Love will play in the preseason, however it’s subject to change.
Love inked a four-year, $220 million contract extension last month with $160.3 million guaranteed and a $75 million signing bonus. He will play the 2024 season with a $10.5 million base salary, per Spotrac.
Love has made a mere 18 career regular-season starts, replacing Aaron Rodgers. Love started every game in 2023 after starting just once in his first two seasons.
The 25-year-old Utah State product, whom the Packers drafted 26th overall in 2020, came on strong in the second half of last season, after the front office made clear that he needed to show he could produce if he wanted to remain in the team’s plans.
In the final eight games of the regular season, Love responded by throwing for 16 touchdowns with just one interception.
Green Bay went 6-2 down the stretch, including winning its final three games, to grab the NFC’s final wild-card berth. The Packers went into Dallas and overpowered the Cowboys 48-32 to open the playoffs, with Love throwing for 272 yards and three scores, before losing to the host San Francisco 49ers 24-21 in the divisional round.
Love finished the regular season with 4,159 yards passing, 32 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.