dlvr.it
The Tyrod Conversation
CheeseheadTV readers, get ready to hate this article.
I can already see it now, a rush to the comment section, swords and axes drawn like the final scene in Braveheart. Many of you will tell me I’m a stupid idiot (or much worse), others will surely call me soft. Some of you might invent new insults for the occasion – I look forward to reading them all.
But before you put on your orange hunting gear and come for me, let me first say this: all I want is a conversation. The proposition I’m about to lay out, I’m not even sure I support it. In fact, at this early stage, I probably don’t. But do I think it's a reasonable conversation to have? Absolutely.
So here is my question: Is this Packers offensive line so bad, bordering on dangerous, that the Packers should consider temporarily sitting Jordan Love – and start backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor – until the offensive line proves they can play at a level that is, at least, below-average.
To be clear, there’s no precedent for this. To my knowledge, no team has ever sat their starting quarterback because they feared for his safety. The Packers sit at 1-2. The season isn’t remotely over. Heck, they’re one Tampa Bay road win from being a .500 ballclub, right in the divisional mix.
But looking at the way the first three games have gone, my concern is that this team is far closer to getting Love hurt than they are to being a functional football team, fighting to stay competitive in their division.
Seriously, ask yourself which is more likely: Love getting hurt or the Packers winning games. Like, if you had to bet – which outcome would you pick? I know where my money would be.
No question, Love gives the Packers a better chance to win football games than Taylor. And I suspect, for Coach LaFleur and probably for most fans, the conversation ends there. I can almost hear Herm Edwards, You play to win the game!
Under contract through the 2028 season, and collecting $55M per year, Jordan Love is unquestionably the engine – and the long-term future – of this Packers team. His arm is our ticket to Super Bowl glory, and there is no Plan B at the present moment, nor should there be. Love is young, he’s got all the talent – he’s the key.
Which is why I’m so terrified. Packers writer Zach Jacobson assembled this video compilation of physical abuse Love endured.
Every hit on Jordan Love last night. pic.twitter.com/renZUQV10W
— Zach Jacobson (@zachjacobson) September 25, 2026
The video is almost a minute long – and it’s just the Falcons game. It should also be noted that the Falcons inflicted all this hurt without James Pearce and Jalon Walker, their two most dangerous edge rushers.
You watch Zach’s video (and others from the Jets and Vikings games), and I just don’t see how Love continues to survive under these circumstances. He is in real danger. The Packers have no run game and no protection. Teams know it – and they’re teeing off.
This is a 5-alarm fire for Brian Gutekunst, and yesterday – he made his first attempt at putting it out, signing guard Laken Tomlinson off the Cowboys’ practice squad. At age 34, with 162 career starts, perhaps Tomlinson can provide some veteran stability.
Maybe the situation will improve further when (or if) Aaron Banks can find a way to stay on the field. But the fact that Sean Rhyan reportedly came out of the Falcons game with a hand injury only adds to Gutekunst’s woes.
And so, until this problem gets sorted, and to salvage the long-term future of the team, maybe the Packers would be better served with Tyrod Taylor under center. Perhaps it’s just one game, maybe it’s two, maybe it’s more – who knows? Let the play of the line dictate the timeline.
Further, inserting Taylor doesn’t have to mean waving the white flag of surrender. Though 37 years old, Taylor is a far more mobile quarterback than Love. Perhaps that mobility offers a helpful escape valve for the line’s frequent breakdowns.
However, while it would guarantee Love’s temporary safety, a switch to Taylor might bring problems of its own. For instance, what does it say to the locker room about the team’s commitment to winning in a still-young season, when your best offensive player isn’t playing? Does it potentially jumble the offense, making things even more confused and desperate? Those are certainly realistic concerns.
For these reasons and probably many others, this plan will almost certainly never hatch. But I’m at the point where I think it’s a legitimate discussion. Say, for instance, the Packers go to Tampa in week 4, Jordan takes another beating and the Packers move to 1-3. Do we talk about it then?
Part of my desire to preserve Love is because this Packers team legitimately has some great pieces. The offense certainly has weapons, and Gannon’s defense has flashed some potential. The idea of breakout year-Van Ness and Parsons together is tantalizing. Even special teams seem hopeful this year. If the Packers could somehow fix the offensive line, and get a run game going, this team could compete.
But if Love goes down, so does the season, and possibly much more. These are weird times we’re navigating, Packers fans, and it may require some weird solutions.
Filed Under: FeaturedMark Ballard
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.
__________________________
Mark Ballard is an obsessive Green Bay Packers fan, born in Buffalo Bills country, but raised right by a Mom from Rice Lake, WI. You can find him on X at @ballark
__________________________
NFL Categories: Green Bay PackersTags: tyrod taylorJordan LoveLaken TomlinsonBrian Gutekunst
Like
0 points
