Star QB Aaron Rodgers unlikely to appear in Packers' pre-season games
NFL club expected to give majority of snaps to 2020 1st-round pick Jordan Love
Reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers probably won't appear in any of Green Bay's three pre-season games as the Packers look to get 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love as much work as possible at the quarterback position.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday Love will play the majority of the Packers' exhibition opener Saturday against the Houston Texans and that Kurt Benkert also would get some snaps.
LaFleur then was asked whether Rodgers would play at all in the pre-season.
"I would say most likely not," LaFleur replied.
Green Bay hosts the New York Jets on Aug. 21 and visits Buffalo on Aug. 28 in its other two pre-season games.
Love took bulk of reps during mini camp
The Packers want to get Love some game experience after the pandemic wiped out last year's preseason. Love also didn't play a single down last year during the regular season as the third-team quarterback behind Rodgers and Tim Boyle, who is now with the Detroit Lions.
Love did get plenty of work during the off-season and got the vast majority of first-team reps during the mandatory mini camp that Rodgers missed. The Packers moved up four spots in the 2020 draft to take Love out of Utah State with the 26th overall pick.
"I'm super excited," Love said last week about the opportunity to play pre-season games. "This is the moment I've been preparing for ever since last year not having preseason. It's almost like I've been training a year just for this first pre-season game. I'm sure excited to get out there and get back to playing ball."
Benkert, who signed with the Packers in May, also could use the experience. The former Virginia quarterback spent the 2018 and 2020 seasons on the Atlanta Falcons' practice squad but has no NFL game experience. Benkert was on injured reserve in 2019.
Rodgers, who won his third MVP last season, sat out the Packers' organized team activities and mandatory mini camp this off-season while in a standoff with team management. He reported for training camp on time and has been practising ever since.
