Packers fans faced a major scare in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season.
Star quarterback Jordan Love, who led Green Bay to the 2023 playoffs and threw 32 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions in the 2023 regular season, was injured late in the season opener against the Eagles.
Despite major concerns about Love’s long-term prospects as he limped to the sideline, reports about the extent of his injury have allayed the Packers’ worst fears. He is expected to return this season, but he is still expected to miss at least a few weeks.
When Green Bay listed Love as questionable Friday for its Week 2 game against the Colts, NFL fans were understandably confused.
THE #Packers QB Jordan Love (knee) was officially listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game against the #Colts.
Love didn’t practice this week. But Matt LaFleur refused to close the door…
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 13, 2024
Here’s what you need to know about Love’s injury, the timetable for his return and his status for Week 2 against Indianapolis.
What is Jordan Love’s injury?
Love suffered a medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain — a knee injury — late in Week 1 against Philadelphia.
The Packers ended up losing the season opener to the Eagles, 34-29, but Love played nearly every snap at QB, with his injury occurring late in the fourth quarter.
Love did not practice this week. Although the 25-year-old avoided a long-term knee injury like a torn ACL, his return from a sprained medial collateral ligament was still estimated to be several weeks away.
Will Jordan Love play in week 2?
There’s no official designation yet on Love’s availability against the Colts, but most signs point to him remaining sidelined despite initially being labeled questionable for Week 2 by the Packers.
On Saturday, Green Bay updated that tag by downgrading Love to questionable, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
Throughout the week, Packers head coach Matt LeFleur has been reluctant to rule his starting quarterback out of the game.
“He’s doing well,” LaFleur said, according to NFL.com“He has a great attitude, he works hard and gets better every day.”
However, Diana Russini of The Athletic recently reported It’s possible that Love won’t be able to play in Week 2 because he hasn’t been medically cleared to do so. LeFleur could also simply leave the door open for Love to return earlier than expected, just in case he’s medically cleared in time.
In the report, Russini also said that Love’s return in Week 3 is considered a “risky bet,” but if he recovers well, he could be back in Week 4. That timeline would give Green Bay two weeks with Malik Willis as the starting QB in the meantime.
While it is now uncertain, Love’s official game designation is expected to be made available Sunday morning ahead of the Packers-Colts game’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
