Getty
Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Inexperienced Bay Packers reacts to a speeding landing in opposition to the San Francisco 49ers in the course of the second half of the NFC Championship recreation at Levi’s Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California.
Jordan Love will start his professional profession sitting and studying behind one of many league’s finest quarterbacks of the previous decade, however not everyone seems to be satisfied Aaron Rodgers has what it takes to be a mentor him into an NFL beginning quarterback.
After the Inexperienced Bay Packers moved up within the first spherical to pick the Utah State quarterback with the No. 26 general choose, former Pittsburgh Steelers security Ryan Clark turned one of many first to react poorly the choice throughout a dwell draft present on ESPN with a fast and important evaluation the state of affairs Love might be getting into subsequent season with Rodgers.
“I can’t consider a extra depressing mentor than Aaron Rodgers,” Clark mentioned moments after the Packers’ choose was introduced dwell.
Packers followers may bear in mind Clark from when Inexperienced Bay gained its final Tremendous Bowl title, as he was typically on the receiving finish of Rodgers’ wraith that night time. Most notably, Clark simply barely allowed Rodgers to squeeze a 21-yard landing move to Greg Jennings within the second quarter that helped give the Packers a 21-Three lead over the Steelers.
Clark retold the story of that landing move six years afterward ESPN and defined how Rodgers even acquired a bit of trash-talking in, calling out his quantity at a timeout and holding up his fingers almost pinched collectively as if to say, “This shut.”
“I’ll hate him for the remainder of my life,” Clark mentioned bitterly. “I hope his thumb and his pointer finger fall off subsequent week and he can’t throw the ball.”
Observe the Heavy on Packers Fb web page for the newest breaking information, rumors and content material!
Others Have been Much less Towards Packers’ Commerce-Up for Love
Clark was hardly the one hot-take specialist available Thursday night time to react poorly to the Packers’ trade-up for Love, however many appeared to view the transfer as an indictment of Rodgers moderately than a vote of confidence for Love’s potential within the NFL.
ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, who has beforehand been important of Rodgers, was visibly stunned by the Packers’ choice to make the leap for a quarterback with extra speedy must nonetheless deal with earlier than the 2020 season, together with discovering a brand new No. 2 extensive receiver.
“We mentioned this like six weeks in the past that this might be a spot that made sense, however what this tells me is that you just selected the long run over the current,” Orlovsky mentioned in his evaluation of the Packers’ number of Love. “We talked about a few of these groups with older quarterbacks had been going to must make the choice: Do you make the choose that helps that older quarterback play as finest as he can or do you simply say, ‘You recognize what, it’s time for us to organize to maneuver on.’ I didn’t suppose Inexperienced Bay was going to do it within the first spherical as a result of they want receiver assist.”
Packers normal supervisor Brian Gutekunst was clear in his post-round feedback Thursday night time that Love has “so much to be taught” earlier than he is able to grow to be an NFL starter and mentioned he had but to talk with Rodgers concerning the choose, however he didn’t envision any issues from his franchise quarterback even with the staff laying the groundwork for his potential substitute.
“Aaron’s been via so much in his profession and definitely has been via a state of affairs like this,” Gutekunst mentioned, in reference to how Rodgers was introduced in as Favre’s substitute within the 2005 NFL draft. “I feel he’s a professional’s professional and he’s taking part in for legacy kind issues right here, not solely in Inexperienced Bay however within the Nationwide Soccer League — historic-type stuff. So I do know he’ll be very motivated and don’t foresee this being a problem.”
READ NEXT: Packers Commerce up, Draft Potential Aaron Rodgers Alternative