Jordan Love waited three years for his chance to succeed Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay.
On Wednesday, the new Packers starting quarterback acknowledged it wasn’t always easy biding his time. Although he “knew right away” he was entering an atypical situation for a first-round pick, Love questioned his Green Bay future when Rodgers followed back-to-back MVP campaigns by signing a three-year extension in 2022.
“I think the hardest time was when he re-signed the contract last year,” Love told reporters, via Packer Central’s Bill Huber. “It was like, ‘OK, well, where do we go from here? What do I do?'”
“And I think I sat back, thought to myself and just came back with the approach, like, ‘Let’s just go ball out any opportunity I get. I’m going to get preseason and who knows what happens after that, so just grow and try and become the best version of myself. I can’t really control what happens after that, so let it play out.'”
Love called it “very hard” to stay patient for his opportunity, but he focused on staying prepared in case the Packers needed him.
Green Bay began a new era by trading Rodgers to the New York Jets. Love will likely have at least two seasons to prove himself after signing an extension through 2024 in lieu of the fifth-year option.
Love said he learned “a lot” from Rodgers and said they wished each other the best after his trade.
“I’m always just grateful to be around him and for the time I had with him.”