Jordan Love injury: What it means for the Packers, list of possible replacements as QB expected to be out

The Green Bay Packers' hopes of competing in the 2024 championship have suffered a setback. In the 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil in the season opener, quarterback Jordan Love lost suffered a medial ligament strainThe good news is that Love's return is initially expected to be in 3 to 6 weeks, according to NFL Media, and there is optimism that he could return sooner rather than later.

While Love attempted to lead a game-winning drive with less than 30 seconds left, the $220 million quarterback was turned over while attempting to fight through defenders in the pocket before handing the ball off to running back Josh Jacobs. Love was visibly in distress after hitting the ground, but eventually limped off the field wearing sneakers.

When Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was asked about Love's status after the game, he simply replied, “I don't know.” Before leaving the game, Love had completed 17 of 34 passes for 260 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

The young Packers are considered a potential NFC contender this season. After a 9-8 season in 2023 that resulted in a playoff berth and an eventual postseason victory over the Dallas Cowboys, the Packers appear to be a team ready to take the next step with a young quarterback who threw 23 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions in the final 10 games of his first full season as a starter. In that one season, Love posted a Four-year extension worth $220 million in July.

According to SportsLine senior data engineer Stephen Oh, the Packers' long-term projection won't be affected too much. He predicted the Packers to have 9.7 wins and a 63.3 percent chance of making the playoffs if Love is healthy, and 9.2 wins and a 55.0 percent chance of making the playoffs if Love misses three games. Green Bay has a seemingly favorable schedule ahead of it, with its next three games being at home against the Indianapolis Colts, at the Tennessee Titans and at home against the Vikings.

Love's replacement is 25-year-old Malik Willis, for whom Green Bay traded a seventh-round pick to the Tennessee Titans just a few weeks ago. Packers GM Brian Gutekunst chose him over Sean Clifford (now on the practice squad) and Michael Pratt, so they could just move on with Liberty's former third-round pick?

Willis doesn't have much NFL experience, having only started three games and won one of them. He has thrown for 350 total yards, zero touchdowns, and three interceptions. However, Willis has made significant strides in his development over the past few seasons and is an intriguing dual-threat talent.

Should the Packers decide to find a replacement for Love outside the building, the following options are available:

Speaking of former Titans quarterbacks, Tannehill is not only the best free agent quarterback available, but he also knows how to step in and save a team's season. In 2019, Tannehill replaced Marcus Mariota at quarterback and helped Tennessee win seven of their final 10 games. The Titans secured a playoff spot thanks to their strong finish, then defeated Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the wild-card round and the No. 1 seed Baltimore Ravens on their home field before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game, earning Tannehill the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.

Tannehill retained the starting quarterback position for the Titans for the next four seasons, achieving a 39-24 record and two AFC South titles as a starter. After missing 2023 with an ankle injury, he was replaced by rookie Will Levis.

Tannehill, 36, said he spent the offseason looking for the right opportunity. While he'll have to get up to speed quickly and learn the offense, it's hard to get much better opportunities than this one.

The Packers would have to sign Winston, who is currently slated to replace Deshaun Watson with the Cleveland Browns, but the former No. 1 first-round pick would be an excellent replacement for Love. The 30-year-old veteran is not only a natural leader that the young Packers could rally around, but he's also one of the better backup quarterbacks in the NFL who can still throw well.

Winston is famous (infamous?) for the first-ever “30 and 30” season in 2019, where he threw 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions and led the league with 5,109 passing yards for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After being replaced by Brady, Winston signed with the rival New Orleans Saints and threw 20 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and won six of 10 starts in four total seasons.

The Western Kentucky product was initially an outsider in the Patriots' quarterback room and is now on the practice squad of the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Packers fans know a little about Zappe because his first NFL appearance came at Lambeau Field. When 2022's Brian Hoyer suffered a concussion in a Week 4 game against the Packers, rookie Zappe came in and completed 10 of 15 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown while sending Aaron Rodgers into overtime.

Overall, Zappe is 4-4 as a starter with 2,053 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. If you're looking for a younger player with a strong arm that once caught Bill Belichick's eye, Zappe is the guy for you.