Jordan Love has better Week 1 debut as Packers full-time starter than Aaron Rodgers or Brett Favre

So, Jordan Love might be pretty good after all. In their first game of the post-Aaron Rodgers era, the Green Bay Packers didn’t skip a beat, cruising to a 38-20 victory on the road against the Chicago Bears. Not only did Love take the baton from Rodgers in his first game as the franchise’s full-time starter (after making one spot start last season), but he actually outperformed the future Hall of Fame quarterback in certain areas.

Love completed 15 of his 27 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns in the win, while adding 12 yards on the ground. Statistically, that was a better performance in his Week 1 debut than what Rodgers tallied in Green Bay’s opening win against the Vikings back in 2008, when he went 18 of 22 for 178 yards and one passing touchdown. 

Game result

Win (24-19 vs. Vikings)

Win (38-20 at Bears

Completion %

81.8

55.6

Passing yards

178

245

Passing touchdowns

1

3

Interceptions

0

0

Passer rating

115.5

123.2

Rushing yards

35

12

Rushing touchdowns10

Love’s three passing touchdowns were also more than the Packers’ previous two Week 1 openers (2021, 2022) where they threw for zero touchdowns. Green Bay’s 38 points in this win also blew away the 10 combined points the team scored under Rodgers in the last two Week 1 openers. 

“There’s a big-time belief in that locker room for Jordan Love,” head coach Matt LaFleur said postgame, via NFL.com. “I think the guys are going to rally around him. They’re excited for him. They love him, they respect him.”

The former first-round pick also had comparable numbers to fellow Packers legend Brett Favre when he made his Week 1 debut for the team in 1993, albeit after starting 13 games for Green Bay the previous season. 

StatsBrett Favre Week 1 debut (1993)Jordan Love Week 1 debut (2023)Game result

Win (36-6 vs. Rams)

Win (38-20 at Bears)

Completion %

65.5

55.6

Passing yards

264

245

Passing touchdowns

2

3

Interceptions

1

0

Passer rating

103.2

123.2

Rushing yards

7

12

Rushing touchdowns00

Of course, this is also a nightmare scenario for a Bears franchise that was tormented by Rodgers throughout his tenure with the team. The quarterback famously yelled “I own you” to the Chicago crowd back in 2021 and went 24-5 against them during his career with 64 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. 

Now, Love is off to an even better start against this division rival than Rodgers, who completed 23 of 30 for 227 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in his first start against the Bears back in Week 11 of the 2008 season. Love’s showing was also better than Farve’s first game against the Bears in 1992 where he completed 54% of his passes for 214 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in a loss. Farve would rebound and go 23-13 in his career against the Bears and his 60 passing touchdowns were the most he’s thrown against a single opponent in his career.

“We knew what type of game we were in for,” Love said of the Week 1 opener vs. Chicago. “Obviously, my first game in this rivalry, so I mean it felt good. They’re a good team. Obviously, first half was close and second half, the way we just bounced back and came out there in the second half and just total domination. It felt good. It just feels good to get a win, never take that for granted.”

While it’s still plenty early in Love’s tenure, the early signs do indicate that Green Bay may have once again successfully replaced its Hall of Fame quarterback.