The Green Bay Packers have uncertainty surrounding a very important offensive player, and that could put more on Jordan Love‘s shoulders than Green Bay has asked of him in recent years.
With Josh Jacobs currently on the NFL’s Commissioner’s Exempt List, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton identified Love as the Packers’ biggest reason for optimism coming into the season.
Moton argued that the situation gives Green Bay’s quarterback an opportunity to show he’s a “legitimate Pro Bowl-caliber player.”
That opportunity may come with a heavier passing workload. The Packers ranked near the bottom of the NFL in pass attempts in each of the past two seasons, leaning on a balanced attack while Love quietly became more efficient.
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Moton pointed directly to Green Bay’s recent passing volume when making the case for Love in his Sept. 4 rundown of reasons every NFL fan base should have hope entering 2026.
Green Bay attempted 479 passes in 2024, which ranked 30th in the league, according to Pro Football Reference. The Packers threw 489 times last season and still ranked only 27th.
There’s precedent for Love producing on heavier volume. In 2023, his first full season as Green Bay’s starter, he attempted 579 passes and threw for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns, with his touchdown total ranking second in the NFL.
Love accounted for 439 of Green Bay’s attempts in 2025 across 15 starts. He completed a career-best 66.3% of his passes for 3,381 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions while posting a career-high 101.2 passer rating.
His interception total was cut nearly in half from the previous season, when he threw 11 picks in the same number of starts. Love also finished 2025 with a 9-5-1 record as the starter.
Even with that efficiency, Green Bay finished 17th in passing yards last season. The question for this year is how Love’s production ends up if the Packers have to put the offense in his hands more frequently.
Packers May Need More From Their $220 Million QB
The Packers have made their long-term commitment to Love. Green Bay signed him to a four-year, $220 million extension in July 2024, a deal that included a $75 million signing bonus.
Now the circumstances around Jacobs could test the worthiness of his big-money deal.
Jacobs rushed for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns last season while adding 282 receiving yards and another score. The NFL placed him on the Commissioner’s Exempt List on Aug. 30, which currently prevents him from practicing or playing in games.
There’s no set timetable for Jacobs’ return. His initial court appearance was moved from Nov. 17 to Sept. 10, three days before Green Bay opens the regular season at Minnesota.
That leaves the Packers preparing for the possibility of opening the year without the centerpiece of their rushing attack. Green Bay has other options in the backfield, although replacing Jacobs’ combination of volume, physicality and scoring production figures to be a difficult assignment.
Love gives the Packers another way to absorb that loss. He has already shown he can protect the football and generate efficient production without ranking among the league leaders in attempts.
The 2026 season could show what happens when the volume rises.
And Green Bay has paid Love like a franchise quarterback, fashioning its offense around him for three seasons. So, if the Packers are forced to lean further toward the passing game, he may finally get the workload to match the expectations attached to that contract.
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