Matt LaFleur announces Jordan Love will play in first Packers preseason game

Packers coach Matt LaFleur will allow Jordan Love, the newly-crowned highest paid quarterback in the NFL, to see some snaps in Green Bay’s preseason opener.

It comes as somewhat of a surprise as coaches typically like to sit their more valuable players in preseason games, especially the earliest ones. But LaFleur is bucking the trend.

LaFleur made the announcement Tuesday morning. But he didn’t say if Love would see a smattering of snaps to kick off the rust or whether it would be a significant stretch.

“I think we’ll just take it a day at a time and one game at a time and decide what he needs,” LaFleur told reporters. “We have a plan in place right now, but subject to change.”

The NFL opened its preseason schedule last Thursday for the Pro Football Hall of Fame game. Neither the Texans (CJ Stroud) nor the Bears (Caleb Williams) used their starting quarterbacks.

Love sat out the first few days of training camp as he waited for his agents and the Packers to work out his contract. Then on July 26, the Packers agreed to pay Love $55 million a year, with a $75 million signing bonus. The contract is for four years. His per-year average salary ties Joe Burrow of the Bengals. Meanwhile, the Jaguars also agreed to pay Trevor Lawrence $55 million a year, but it doesn’t kick in until 2025.

Love made his first appearance at training camp the next day.

The Packers kick off their preseason, Saturday, in Cleveland. On Aug. 18, they’ll play a Sunday night game in Denver against the Broncos. They’ll finish preseason on Aug. 24, with a home game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Meanwhile, in the first “unofficial” depth chart for the Packers, Green Bay listed two rookies as starters. First-round pick Jordan Morgan is listed as first-team right guard. Javon Bullard, the Packers’ second-round pick, is the starter at safety alongside Xavier McKinney.

On Monday, the Packers announced that they’d released quarterback Jacob Eason. Green Bay initially signed Eason while Love was in the midst of his holdout. The Colts selected Eason, the former Washington star, in the fourth round of the 2020 draft.

The Packers still have Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt, the rookie from Tulane, to backup Love.