Packers were so desperate to move up for QB Jordan Love, they called the Vikings for a trade
Picking a quarterback in the first round might have upset the Green Bay Packers’ franchise quarterback, but general manager Brian Gutekunst would not be denied.
Utah State quarterback Jordan Love didn’t just fall in the Packers laps and force them to make a decision about the future. Green Bay was aggressive in moving up to get Rodgers’ eventual replacement — even if the Packers were on the verge of a Super Bowl last season and Love realistically won’t start for two or three years. The Packers traded up for Love, which was the most controversial pick of the first round.
The Packers were so excited to move up for Love, they even called the Minnesota Vikings to ask for a trade up.
Packers tried to get a trade with the Vikings
It’s rare for teams to deal within the division. If it happens, it’s usually later in the draft, not the first round.
And it’s definitely not common for a team to give their division rival a potential starting quarterback. Yet, the Packers called the Vikings anyway, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
How much did the Packers want Jordan Love? As they made their calls about a first-round trade up, they reached out to divisional rival Minnesota, which had the 22nd and 25th picks. Sounds like they wouldn't be denied in getting the QB.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 27, 2020
Many have criticized the Packers taking a quarterback who won’t start until 2022 at the earliest, unless Green Bay is willing to take on a historic salary-cap hit and move on from Aaron Rodgers. And they were in a rush to make that move.
Will Jordan Love pick work out?
The move to trade up and draft Love is the rare NFL pick that will be debated for years.
If Rodgers doesn’t make it back to another Super Bowl, Gutekunst will be criticized for not getting Rodgers a first-round receiver in a deep class. If Love can’t harness his physical talents and can’t kick the mistakes that plagued him in the Mountain West, it will look even crazier to move up and spend a first-round pick on a quarterback who didn’t even pan out.
This will be a big story in the NFL for the 2020 season, and 2021 and beyond too. The Packers can’t say they didn’t bring it on themselves.
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