Jordan Love could be coming back a little earlier than expected.
Love is questionable to play Sunday for the Green Bay Packers against the host Tennessee Titans.
If Love can’t go, Malik Willis would start for the second straight week and do so in an intriguing matchup against his former team.
Having suffered an MCL sprain in the Packers’ season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles during the NFL’s first-ever game in Brazil, Love was originally expected to miss three to six weeks. Instead, he could be back after two.
Asked whether Love was medically cleared to play, Packers coach Matt LaFleur responded Friday, “We’re working through that.”
Love was questionable a week ago before he was downgraded the day before as Willis helped the Packers defeat the visiting Indianapolis Colts in Week 2. The major difference this week and the chief reason things could be different is Love returned to practice on Wednesday.
If the 25-year-old plays, he’s unlikely to be 100 percent, as NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport noted on Thursday. Thus, the decision could come down to whether head coach LaFleur believes Love is well enough to protect himself or if he’d rather be cautious with 14 more games to play.
“He’s doing everything in his power. He wants to be out there more than anybody,” LaFleur said of Love. “We’ll work through it. We’ll give it up ’til game time and see where we’re at.”
Love’s coming off a sterling season in which he finished in phenomenal form, throwing for 4,159 passing yards and 32 touchdowns as he rallied Green Bay into the playoffs. After his first campaign as Green Bay’s QB1, Love was rewarded with an extension in the offseason but hit a huge speed bump in the season opener when he was injured on the third-to-last play.
Willis has been at the reins since and could well be again versus the Titans, who traded him to the Packers not long before the season.
LaFleur turned in a masterful game plan in Week 2 as Willis piloted a run-heavy approach during a victory over the Colts. A 2022 NFL Draft third-round pick out of Liberty, Willis was viewed as a potential future franchise QB for the Titans, but he struggled over his first two years. For the Packers, though, Willis had arguably his best career performance, completing 12 of 14 passes for 122 yards, his first NFL touchdown pass and no interceptions.
Will it be a return to Love or a chance for Willis to best his old squad?
Green Bay (1-1) kicks off against Tennessee (0-2) at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.
