\u201cLove took a big step forward in 2025, combining efficiency with consistency,\u201d PFF\u2019s Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick wrote. He led all qualified quarterbacks in EPA per dropback (0.222), while his 88.7 PFF passing grade and 2.97 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) both ranked among the league\u2019s top three.\u201d<\/p>\n
Love is coming off a strong season by the traditional numbers, too, including finishing fifth in the league with a career-best 101.2 passer rating.<\/p>\n
What was most encouraging is how Love crushed his career numbers in completion percentage (66.3; was 63.7 percent his first two seasons as the starter) and interception percentage (1.4 percent; was 2.2 percent his first two seasons as the starter) while remaining explosive (7.7 yards per attempt ranked seventh).<\/p>\n
After not showing much measurable improvement from 2023 to 2024, Love needed to take a step forward in 2025. He took a big step.<\/p>\n
The question is whether Love belongs on the short list of the league\u2019s top quarterbacks.<\/p>\n
Two scouts like Love \u2013 just not as much as PFF.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there\u2019s three tiers, bottom of first, top of second. Somewhere in there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Another team\u2019s top pro scout put him in about the same spot.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe in the top 10,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019d take him over most guys, I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any question about that. We all know about his arm talent. He can make every throw. I thought his command of the offense took a big leap last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just can\u2019t turn the ball over, and he was a lot better there. Past couple years, if you pressured him, he might throw you one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Where the scout has serious questions is Love\u2019s ability to make the big throw in the big moment. It\u2019s an interesting thought. Love last season led four game-winning drives. That tied for fifth behind Denver\u2019s Bo Nix (seven), Chicago\u2019s Caleb Williams and Carolina\u2019s Bryce Young (six apiece), and Jacksonville\u2019s Trevor Lawrence (five).<\/p>\n
So that was good. Williams, of course, led an incredible comeback against the Packers in the playoffs. Love faltered in the second half of that game, part of the team\u2019s collective meltdown. However, the outcome of the game might have been different had Jayden Reed not dropped a pass at Chicago\u2019s 25-yard line on the final drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s (Patrick) Mahomes, Josh Allen, Dak (Prescott) or Caleb (Williams) and they\u2019ve got the ball and we\u2019re up by four with 2 minutes to go, we\u2019re f***ed. I don\u2019t know that I\u2019d feel the same if it was Jordan,\u201d the scout said.<\/p>\n
PFF just released its Quarterback Annual<\/a>. The 17th and final segment in it is called \u201cClutch Moments.\u201d<\/p>\n Generally, Love was good in those moments. Of 43 graded quarterbacks, Love finished in the top 10 in grade, percentage of positively and negatively graded plays, and big-time throw percentage. However, he was only 24th in accurate-throw percentage and yards per attempt.<\/p>\n Ultimately, in those moments that win or lose games, almost nothing matters more than putting the ball on the money and gaining yards.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it was disappointing how we finished all those games toward the end of the season,\u201d Love said during OTAs. \u201cWhen you get a close game like some of the ones we had, you\u2019ve got to find ways to finish and win those games and set yourself up going into the playoffs. Especially the Bears game, the last playoff game, we didn\u2019t do that, so we\u2019ve got to do a much better job finishing.\u201d<\/p>\n Finally, while Love cut back on the bad turnovers when pressured, he was shockingly one of the worst under-pressure quarterbacks in the league by PFF\u2019s deep-dive numbers.<\/p>\n Last season, 41 quarterbacks played at least 60 under-pressure dropbacks. It was a night-and-day difference between playing from a clean pocket and a broken pocket.<\/p>\n Passer rating: 128.8 in clean pocket (first); 46.7 under pressure (39th).<\/p>\n Completion percentage: 79.6 in clean pocket (first); 41.6 under pressure (36th).<\/p>\n Yards per attempt: 9.2 in clean pocket (second); 5.0 under pressure (38th).<\/p>\n Turnover-worthy play percentage: 1.3 in clean pocket (fifth); 4.8 under pressure (29th).<\/p>\n Touchdowns to interceptions: 23 to 2 in clean pocket (second); 0 to 4 under pressure (last).<\/p>\n Love in 2024 when under pressure had a 74.9 passer rating, completed 47.8 percent of his passes, and threw seven touchdowns against five interceptions. So, by the numbers, it was a significant regression, which is noteworthy considering how Love played through a couple lower-body injuries in 2024.<\/p>\n It almost defies explanation that Love \u2013 with a growing amount of experience, above-average athleticism and elite arm talent \u2013 was under pressure on 192 dropbacks and didn\u2019t throw a single touchdown pass.<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Not one?\u201d one of the scouts said.<\/p>\n Love is deemed the best quarterback in the NFC North. Among the 32 starters, the Bears\u2019 Williams is 13th, efficient Lions veteran Jared Goff is 16th and new Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray is 21st.<\/p>\n Aaron Rodgers is 22nd.<\/p>\n \u201cThe cover athlete for Madden NFL 27 is still a bit of a gunslinger, as his negatively graded throw rate ranked 38th at the position,\u201d the authors wrote of Williams. \u201cEven so, Williams is trending in the right direction and appears well on his way to living up to the immense expectations that came with being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n With the 250th birthday of the best country in the world, I was thinking …<\/p>\n Who are the 250 best players in the history of the Packers?<\/p>\n Here’s my list. It’s not a ranking (that would be absurd) but it was a fun project (and a very long read). \u2b07\ufe0fhttps:\/\/t.co\/SbIt0nkTr8<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) July 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n
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