Packers QB Aaron Rodgers Says He Enjoys Being With Jordan Love, Rookie Has ‘Bright Future’

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he enjoys being in the QB room with former Utah State signal-caller Jordan Love and thinks the rookie has “a bright future.”

Green Bay selected Love as Rodgers’ presumed successor with the 26th overall pick during the first round of April’s 2020 NFL Draft.

Rodgers recently spoke with Bleacher Report about the relationship with his new backup and what he sees in Love’s future.

“I remember what it was like to be 21 and be in a quarterback room with an older quarterback and a new offense and just trying to find my bearings,” Rodgers said. “It’s a lot. The key to being a quarterback and leader in this league is just doing it your own way and taking time with your personality and letting guys get to know the authentic you. He’s a good kid. He really is. I enjoy being in the room with him. I think he’s got a bright future.”

At 36, Aaron Rodgers has become the mentor he never had for rookie QB Jordan Love.

“Part of your legacy is how you treat your teammates. … I want kinship, not animosity.”

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 2, 2020

The future Hall of Fame QB also said similar to the Packers organization, he is focused on helping Love’s career in the long term.

“Part of your legacy is how you treat your teammates,” Rodgers said. “I want Jordan to have as great of memories as possible of me being in the QB room and having some great laughs and competing. I want kinship, not animosity. That’s what I’ve always tried to do with all my backups.”

When the Packers drafted Jordan Love, Aaron Rodgers said he'd treat him just like all his other backups. I wondered: What was that like? This is a story about crickets, karaoke and (no) competition — a story about what it's like to play behind Rodgershttps://t.co/1Gc5SwuCQO pic.twitter.com/g2oxMmo3vz

— David Gardner (@byDavidGardner) September 2, 2020

Former Packers quarterback and current USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell thinks Love is in a great situation with Rodgers and Green Bay.

“Getting drafted by the Packers and playing behind Aaron Rodgers: Those will be the best two things that have ever happened to Jordan Love,” Harrell told B/R.

Previous Comments by Aaron Rodgers on Jordan Love

Rodgers previously said that he was surprised and not necessarily thrilled after the Packers drafted Love.

“I was watching the draft… and I think the general reaction at first was surprised,” Rodgers told reporters in May. “I think like many people you know obviously, not gonna say I was thrilled by the pick necessarily but I understand. The organization is thinking not only about the present but about the future and I respect that. You know, I understand their focus and their mindset. Obviously they thought that he was such a great talent that they needed to go up and get him. So you know, like I said, generally surprised but you know it’s what those guys are paid to do. To put together a roster for now and for the future as well.”

.@SteveYoungQB says there will be “creative tension” between @packers QBs Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love. #AggiesAllTheWay #GoPackGo @kslsports

📹: NFL Network pic.twitter.com/3zDYyJHvei

— Kyle Ireland 😷 (@kyleireland) May 8, 2020

Rodgers continued by saying that the Packers’ decision to draft Love was “truly something” out of his control. The 16-year veteran said that if the timetable for him to retire from the NFL doesn’t align with Green Bay’s schedule for Love, Rodgers could see himself playing for another organization.

“You can only control what you can control and it’s always been a mantra for myself and I think any great athlete. There’s just things that are out of our control,” Rodgers said. “That’s obviously something that’s very important to me but I think is definitely telling at this point that is truly something that is out of my control. What I can control is how I play and making that decision at some point a very hard one. If I were to retire on the organization’s timetable then it’s an easy decision but if there comes a time where I still feel like I can play at a high level and my body feels great then there’s other guys who have gone on and played elsewhere.”

Jordan Love’s Utah State Career

Love joined Utah State’s program as a freshman in 2016. USU was the only FBS school to offer Love a scholarship after his career at Liberty High School in Bakersfield, California.

During his first year in Logan, the quarterback sat out as a redshirt.

In 2017, the redshirt-freshman QB played in 12 games including six starts to close out the season. He ended the year completing 54.9 percent of his passes for 1,631 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Love set a Utah State record for most passing yards by a freshman in a season.

As a sophomore in 2018, Love had a breakout season. The quarterback completed 64.0 percent of his throws for 3,567 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He recorded the 10th best passing efficiency (158.3) in the country and threw for the eighth-most passing touchdowns in the nation.

Love’s junior season at Utah State had its ups and downs. Former Utah State head coach Matt Wells left Logan for Texas Tech at the end of 2018 and former Utah State head coach Gary Andersen was hired for a second time to lead the Aggies. Andersen and his staff maintained the previous staff’s offense with Love returning at quarterback. However, the Aggies lost a number of weapons from the 2018 season.

.@jordan3love is headed to the @packers, @JJSportsBeat
breaks down how the first round pick's game translates to the league.#NFLDraft // @USUFootball pic.twitter.com/HJrcasj3pl

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 24, 2020

Despite those losses, the Utah State quarterback still recorded a completion percentage of 61.9 percent during his final season in Logan. He threw for 3,402 yards and 20 touchdowns but posted 17 interceptions. Love also set USU single-season school records in both completions and attempts.

In December 2019, Love announced that he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2020 NFL Draft.

He ended his Aggies career with Utah State records of 9,003 yards of total offense and 12 career 300-yard passing games.