In 2022, Tom Clements came out of retirement to rejoin the Green Bay Packers as their quarterback coach under Matt LaFleur. Clements had previously worked with the Packers from 2006 to 2016 and returned to work with Aaron Rodgers for one final season. Following Rodgers’ trade to the New York Jets in the 2023 offseason, Clements remained with the team to mentor first-year starter Jordan Love.
Under Clements’ tutelage, Love threw for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns in 17 starts. Additionally, Love passed for 272 yards and three touchdowns in Green Bay’s Wild Card game against the Dallas Cowboys, achieving a 157.2 passer rating.
While it’s fair to argue that defensive coordinators had a limited sample of tape on Jordan Love at the pro level, it’s important to note that the Packers still ranked as a top-six aerial offense. Green Bay succeeded despite revamping their wide receiver and tight end rooms, and Aaron Jones missed six games.
Despite a challenging stretch in the first half of 2023, Love had some success in the first eight games of the season. In the first three weeks, he passed for 655 yards, seven touchdowns, and just one interception, maintaining a 94.7 passer rating. However, he and the rest of the offense found their rhythm later in the year. Green Bay’s improvement is reflected in Love’s passing grade, which rose from 60.9 in Weeks 1 through 8 to 78.3 in Weeks 9 through 18.
Judging Love’s first start against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021 is unfair. Aaron Rodgers tested positive for COVID only four days before the game, leaving Love little time to prepare. However, to be considered an NFL-caliber quarterback, Love needed to improve his pocket awareness and ability to handle blitzes at the line of scrimmage. That day, Steve Spagnuolo blitzed Love on 53.8% of his dropbacks, and Green Bay’s offensive line allowed 28 pressures. Love had no answers, and the Chiefs beat Green Bay 13-7 at Arrowhead.
Fast-forward two seasons, and Love has demonstrated his ability to handle these aspects of the game at a high level. In Week 13 against Kansas City, he threw a touchdown pass to Christian Watson, one of his most underrated plays last year. Love’s most impressive trait was his ability to return to his throwing stance while moving up in the pocket.
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