It’s time to make Jordan Love the sole focus of the Packers offense
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 20: Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers looks to pass against the Chicago Bears during the first quarter at Soldier Field on December 20, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesNo matter what happens with Josh Jacobs' legal situation, the Packers were probably going to have to do without him at some point this season, anyway.
Jacobs turned 28 in February. He's touched the ball more than 2,100 times in his NFL career. He played a career low 554 snaps last season due to a variety of injuries. The trendline was already pointing toward Jacobs spending a decent amount of time on the sideline.
And though the wheels of what the NFL calls justice spin slowly, they could eventually land on a suspension for the Packers' starting running back.
Simply put, the Packers can't count on a full season from Jacobs. They shouldn't. It would be foolish to build an offense around his availability.
And while I'd never put it past Matt LaFleur to build an offense around a suboptimal idea, he's got a much better option at his disposal: Jordan Love. If ever there was a time to fully commit to Love as the center of the Packers' offensive universe, it's now.
I wrote about this back in February, but it bears repeating: Jordan Love was a wonderfully efficient quarterback in 2025, and the Packers wasted some of his best efforts by leaning too much on the run. The Packers just don't throw enough, and we've been hammering this point for a while now at APC. Love just lacks volume.
If Jacobs is going to be out, either due to a suspension (possible) or injury (probable, if not certain), there's no excuse. LaFleur can't lean on the we've got a high-priced running back" excuse for making the whole offense out of inside zone if the backs at hand are Chris Brooks, an assortment of UDFAs, and whatever remaining parts of MarShawn Lloyd the training staff can tape together.
Instead, the offense should follow its natural course, the one Brian Gutekunst seems to have been building toward for years. You have Jordan Love, a long-tenured quarterback who has known nothing but LaFleur's system for his entire career. You have veteran wide receivers in Christian Watson and Jayden Reed with promising youngster Matthew Golden ready to take the next step. You have Tucker Kraft preparing to make a (hopefully) triumphant return from a torn ACL. The pieces are there for an elite passing offense, or at the very least a very good one.
There's no reason to not lean heavily on Love and company. There's no reason to bank on Jacobs this year. Love can be the answer to every question the Packers have on offense. The question is only whether or not Matt LaFleur will allow him to be.