Why Jordan Love’s shoulder injury is worth monitoring

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) during practice before the Green Bay Packers’ preseason NFL football game against the Houston Texans Saturday, Aug. 14,2021 in Green Bay, Wis. | Jeffrey Phelps, Associated Press

The former Utah State quarterback injured his shoulder during a successful preseason opener for the Green Bay Packers, though an MRI on his shoulder came back clean, ESPN reported

Jordan Love was expected to take the bulk of the quarterback snaps for the Green Bay Packers during the preseason while reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers sat out exhibition play.

That’s still the plan, though there’s a situation to keep an eye on.

The former Utah State star injured his right shoulder on a sack-fumble late in the second quarter of the Packers’ 26-7 loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday night. On Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported an MRI on his shoulder came back clean.

“I think he’s doing fine,” Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday, per ESPN. “It’s something, though, that is significant enough where he could miss a couple days of practice. We’ll see where he’s at at the end of the week, but we’re going to kind of take it day to day.”

Love was expected to play into the third quarter against Houston but was taken out as a precaution, CBS Sports reported. Love ended up playing 28 snaps in his first game action since the 2020 Senior Bowl, completing 12 of 17 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown. He finished with a QB rating of 110.4.

“It was a slow start,” Love said of his NFL debut, per the Packers’ team website. “But then I think we started getting into a little bit of a groove on offense.”

On the touchdown drive he led — a nine-play, 88-yard drive that led to the Packers’ only score — Love hit tight end Jace Sternberger down the middle for a 34-yard gain on third down to get things going.

“Being able to convert that first third down helped a lot. We got that momentum going and got rolling from there,” Love said. He later connected with running back Kylin Hill on a 22-yard touchdown pass in the opening minute of the second quarter.

A thing of beauty from Jordan Love

(via @thecheckdown)pic.twitter.com/TCyRnnHvQf

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 15, 2021

Green Bay is scheduled to play the New York Jets and rookie quarterback Zach Wilson of BYU in Week 2 of the preseason this upcoming Saturday. When asked if Love could potentially miss the game, ESPN reported LaFleur said, “Potentially, yeah.”

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