Head coach Matt LaFleur excluded Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the veterans after 1 hour and 54 minutes to make Love and backup third-year Tim Boyle one more team period.
Love then closed the exercise with a deep ball to Malik Taylor below the sideline, earning a congratulations on the back of Boyle. These types of live reps are what Love missed most during the virtual offseason.
The 6-foot-4, 219-pound quarterback tried to simulate such situations as much as he could at home, but there is no way to replicate the situations that love is presented in 11-on-11 periods of camp.
Both Rodgers and Boyle have helped Love adapt the playbook and schedule. When he’s not under center, the rookie quarterback watched the two veteran QBs closely during drills and team periods.
General manager Brian Gutekunst, who set up Love 26th in April in general, liked what he saw of the rookie. Sure, there’s a long way to go, but the tools from which the Packers were drawn on Love’s Utah State movie have come as advertised.
“I think of course the physical gifts are all there,” Gutekunst said. “Now he puts himself in a comfort zone and all the different things the coaches ask him to do and then lets those physical gifts come out.
“Again, learning to play quarterback in the National Football League is a very big achievement, and I think these things will take time. But he has certainly done some very good things in the short time he has been here. has got.”
More than anything, it has just been valuable for Love to finally be with Rodgers personally. Love knows that his job right now is to listen, learn, and improve. He speaks as he talks to and offers his opinion as guaranteed.
Love says he took a seat behind the two-time MVP in the quarterback room and appreciates hearing Rodgers hear about movie reviews and plays.
“It’s definitely been a lot for me just in terms of learning the game book and trying to grasp that just right, but that quarterback room, it’s a great room, great environment to be in,” Love said. “I have two dudes from whom I can learn; I have learned a lot from them so far and will continue to do so.”
