Packers Meeting With Experienced 24-Year-Old Quarterback: Report

The Green Bay Packers have their succession plan to Aaron Rodgers in place with Jordan Love, but general manager Brian Gutekunst is doing his homework on potential backups for the former first-round pick.

Gutekunst has specifically shown some interest in quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft. While the Packers could bring in a veteran to help mentor Love, the team has already brought in former Tennessee Volunteers QB Hendon Hooker for a top-30 visit.

Hooker isn’t the only quarterback prospect the Packers are bringing in for a visit. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky tweeted that the Packers are bringing in former Penn State starter Sean Clifford for a top-30 visit on Tuesday, April 11.

Clifford has been with the Nittany Lions since 2017, serving as the team’s starting quarterback for the last four seasons. He finished his career on a high note in 2022, going 11-2 as a starter with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions on his way to a Rose Bowl MVP.

At 24 years old, Clifford has plenty of starting experience that should help him at the next level, although his age and inconsistent production could lead to him going undrafted.

Is Jordan Love Ready to Start?

Green Bay’s coaching staff has a better feel than anyone on if Love is ready to be an NFL starter. However, the brief flashes fans saw in 2022 should give them hope about the 24-year-old’s potential as a starting QB.

Love was taken in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Utah State by the Packers. The plan was for Love to be the successor to Rodgers, but back-to-back MVP seasons from the superstar QB in 2020 and 2021 delayed those plans.

In fact, Love has only logged one career start in his first three NFL seasons, struggling in a loss to Kansas City Chiefs in front of a hostile Arrowhead Stadium. However, the 24-year-old looked much more comfortable replacing an injured Rodgers in Week 12 of this past season, completing 6 of 9 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown late in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

While Love has been waiting patiently for his opportunity, the former first-round pick was considering a trade request if Rodgers returned in 2023. Now that it appears the four-time MVP is heading elsewhere, Love will have a chance to show the NFL what he’s made of next season as the de facto starter in Green Bay.

Latest on Aaron Rodgers Trade

With a trade yet to be finalized, rumors and reports are continuing to come in surrounding the Packers, Jets, and Rodgers.

Jets general manager Joe Douglas doesn’t seem worried that a trade hasn’t been completed yet. Speaking at a live event, Douglas told Jets fans in attendance that Rodgers will be playing for the Jets in 2023.

However, rumors have surfaced that the San Francisco 49ers could swoop in on a Rodgers trade if the Jets are unable to get one done. The proposed trade that the 49ers would offer includes multiple third-round picks this year along with a first-round pick in 2024.

The 2023 NFL Draft is looking like the official deadline for a trade to get done. That’s less than three weeks away, so Packers and Jets fans could soon be getting a resolution to the Rodgers trade saga.