Chris Simms tells Connor Rogers why Jordan Love deserves his own "What is Love?" tier coming in at No. 31 in his Top 40 QB Countdown, given his opportunities have been limited, but he can "revive" the Packers.

Video Transcript

CONNOR ROGERS: Our final quarterback for today.

CHRIS SIMMS: Oh.

CONNOR ROGERS: First solo player tier. This player--

CHRIS SIMMS: He deserves his own tier.

CONNOR ROGERS: He deserves his own tier. Boy, does he need one. The tier is, what is love, baby don't hurt me.

CHRIS SIMMS: That's right.

CONNOR ROGERS: Pretty obvious who number 31 is. That is Jordan Love. Chris, maybe from my outside view looking in on your process, I would think this is the hardest player to rank.

CHRIS SIMMS: This is definitely up there. And I will say, you know, Jordan Love, and I mean, not Gardner Minshew, but the Heinicke, you know, Jarrett Stidham, this was very close, it really was. But Jordan Love, one, I'm a believer in his ability, I guess. That's probably maybe where I got him, I don't know, higher than most, or whatever.

But here's what I'll take from preseason, the game against Philadelphia, a few other snaps here and there, right, and even going back to two years ago when Rodgers had COVID, right, and had to miss the Chiefs game and all of that. One, there were some good signs then, right? But where it changed this year, where you see preseason one is right away could see, there's a more of a comfort zone, and knowing the offense, and knowing where to go with the ball, where he made decisions quick, and did it right away.

And then when you watch the Eagles game, to go in that situation where he was, I mean, he made some great decisions, seamless. And then his arm is special, you know. Again, I'm not going to say it's like Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Josh Allen, but damn, it's really damn good.

Like, when Jordan Love gets all of it and rips it, it moves through the air. And he has some throws that maybe were incomplete in the Eagles game and some other games where you go, oh wow, and then some of them are on the money, and it's just in the tight coverage, and somebody knocks it down or whatever, and you go, whoa. There's none of the other guys on the nine that I just-- the nine before this that can make that throw. Maybe some of the rookies can, but I haven't seen them yet, right? None of the other guys who have been in the NFL can make that throw.

He's improved his mechanics. He's comfortable in the offense. He's a good athlete. He's got very good size to see up over the line or throw through lanes. Yeah, I'm thinking Jordan Love is going to open up some eyes this year.

CONNOR ROGERS: So this is Love's first appearance in the Simms top 40. Comes in at number 31. We have a question from Steve Brousseau.

CHRIS SIMMS: Cool.

CONNOR ROGERS: He said, can you revisit your scouting report on Jordan Love? What are your expectations for him in his first full year as a starter? For a little context, Simms in 2020, he was number four in your quarterback draft ranks, initially number three, but then you ultimately moved Tua ahead of him. So what did you see in Love that year as a prospect?

CHRIS SIMMS: I think where I got a little maybe carried away, and I've told this story in the pod, I mean, I loved some of the high-end stuff he does.

CONNOR ROGERS: Oh yeah.

CHRIS SIMMS: I mean, you remember. When he was coming out, we were all going, wait, he does some Mahomes and Rodgers stuff. That was the thing. He would make a few throws every game where you'd go, whoa, whoa, holy shit.

CONNOR ROGERS: There's only a few guys on the planet that could do that.

CHRIS SIMMS: Exactly, right. Oh you go, there are not many people in the draft here that can do with that throw right there, right? Now where I can still remember the phone call with my dad, where he's, are you sure you want to put him in-- I mean, think about the whole game now.

I mean, he's really raw. He's misses some-- he's missing some throws that you and I would go, how can you miss that throw? And I went, you're right, dad. I'm being a little too bullish on the high-end stuff.

And yes, some of the erratic throws because at that time too, he let his arm get too long. So he's tighten that up. I mean, there are some throws in college where, I mean, his arm is down like he's a pitcher in baseball, and it's just too hard to make it all work and match up to throw a really awesome accurate football or spin it the right way that way. He's cleaned those things up.

He's really watched Rodgers in a lot of way. I mean, you watch his mechanics, there are some times where you're like, you don't have to be exactly like Rodgers. Be Jordan Love. Like, you don't have to have both feet off the ground and doing some of that, right, but he's getting to the point where he can do it.

He can do it, and you see it, and you go, wow. But yeah, it was the decision making and just the little bit of the rawness in the throwing, I think, that made me drop him that I was concerned about. But that high-end stuff he did, and even again, go back to the Philly game, watch some of those throws. Watch the throw-- it was the Philly game. The right sideline, he makes a throw to Aaron Jones in the third or early fourth quarter.

CONNOR ROGERS: I know exactly what you are talking about.

CHRIS SIMMS: I mean, it's a hole shot in a cover 2, I mean, it's an unbelievable throw into a tight window, and Aaron Jones should have caught it, but it was like, bang, bang, and he got hit as soon as he caught it, and the ball got knocked out, and it was incomplete pass.

But he has some things there where I think Jordan Love's going to show some people this year. I think the Packers are going to be revived because of Jordan Love, no Aaron Rodgers, some new voices in the locker room. Them wanting to shove it up all our asses, right, to go, we're going to still be good or you're not going to be good because Aaron Rodgers isn't there. I think that energy is going to motivate this football team.

CONNOR ROGERS: And it probably allows LaFleur to maybe implement even more of what he wants to a younger quarterback that's going to defer to him.

CHRIS SIMMS: Do his thing, right, right. I mean, yes, exactly. And Rodgers justifiably earned the ability to do what he wants, but it does let an offensive coach kind of go, OK, this is what I really--

CONNOR ROGERS: This is how I want to play.

CHRIS SIMMS: Yes, right. He was in a tough situation. This is where LaFleur didn't never got enough credit. The fact that he was able to be personable and adjust his coaching style for Aaron Rodgers, I think showed the greatness in Matt LaFleur, and the fact that, OK, right, I don't really necessarily agree with all this, but damn, this guy's really good.

And yeah, he can get us out of some bad plays at the line of scrimmage, and get us into the right plays, and do all that, and he trusted his players that way. But yeah, this brings it back more to what LaFleur wants to do and the vision he sees on the offensive side of the ball.

CONNOR ROGERS: Obviously, a good start will be monumental for Jordan Love as his first year as the starter as we take a look at the Packers 2023 schedule out of the gate. This is a division that is absolutely up for grabs. The Lions have been the favorite now, the betting favorite, but you look at they opened against the Bears.

Then they have the Falcons, who are going to be much improved. Saints, and then kind of a statement game there on Thursday Night Football against the Lions. So do you think this is built for Jordan Love to build some momentum in that first quarter of the season?

CHRIS SIMMS: I do. I really do. And you know, again, like, we talked about the Saints. The Saints, I mean, their D is going to be good. The Falcons, like we talked about, we expect them to be better.

CONNOR ROGERS: Much improved.

CHRIS SIMMS: But these are teams too that, yeah, they could be finding their way still. They're not going be hitting on all cylinders. They're going to be playing Desmond Ridder. I can't imagine that their offense is just hitting on all cylinders.

CONNOR ROGERS: No playoff team till week eight, and that's the Vikings who were viewed as the luckiest team in the NFL last year by many.

CHRIS SIMMS: And the Lions are going to be a team that's for the first time dealing with, like, whoa, pressure, big time. And whoa, yeah, we can't just go out there and do whatever we want.

Where I look at it from Green Bay standpoint, you go, Green Bay out of those teams right there they're going to go, no, we're ready for ball. We've been playing in NFC Championships, and the playoffs, and a lot of big games with Aaron Rodgers. So we're not scared of any of these teams or this match-up right here.

And yeah, the Bears, that defense it'll be improved, but they know it. I would think-- I do think it sets up pretty well for him to get off to a good start. And again, I think the Packers are going to be better than people realize in the NFL.

CONNOR ROGERS: With you saying that, you might be surprised by the BetMGM odds for the Packers this year. And I want to ask what your favorite bet is because this is pretty shocking. They have their over/under win total set at just 7 and 1/2. To make the playoffs at plus 165.

So kind of a big underdog there to make the playoffs. And then to win the NFC North is plus 400. They're not even being factored in to win this division next year. That is last, by the way. The Lions are the favorite. They are last in the division projected to win it.

CHRIS SIMMS: I'd get on that bet.

CONNOR ROGERS: Right?

CHRIS SIMMS: I definitely would. I just-- I don't see that. I think you're looking at a roster here, and a team that just they had a lot of going on last year, you know. Whether it was Rodgers and his kerfuffle with the team, there's no Davante Adams, finding that, Christian Watson was hurt.

They underperformed in the playoffs in their eyes the three years before that. They might have been worn out from those runs into the playoffs, all that. There's a lot that goes into that.

Whoo, I would bet money on that, for sure. Like, again, like, we talked about Atlanta to be that team that maybe didn't go to the playoffs to get in the playoffs, where I'd go, if I have some extra cash, that'd be one I'd throw on there too. This would be another one where you talk about value, making the playoffs, everything like that.

Making the playoffs in a conference where it's hard to find four really good teams. There's only three of them right now. And I'd go, we're going to just go rosters here, like, after Niners, Eagles, Cowboys, I think if we get into complete rosters in the NFC, the next group down you start to talk about Green Bay, OK, Detroit, Seattle, right?

CONNOR ROGERS: Absolutely.

CHRIS SIMMS: I mean, those are the next group of teams, I think, that you start to go, oh, those are the most impressive rosters, outside of those top three. I don't know. Is there's anybody else you're missing there? Washington's getting up there. They're a team has--

CONNOR ROGERS: Their wild card is quarterback.

CHRIS SIMMS: Exactly.

CONNOR ROGERS: Which is always the tricky factor.

CHRIS SIMMS: Man, that's where-- I'm shocked by that low number.

CONNOR ROGERS: It's pretty disrespectful to Matt LaFleur, that number. It's basically saying that, like, none of what you've done has mattered. It's only happened because Aaron Rodgers. And Aaron Rodgers is great. You're not going to find two people that are higher on Aaron Rodgers than us.

CHRIS SIMMS: No doubt.

CONNOR ROGERS: But that's a pretty disrespectful line to what LaFleur has done.

CHRIS SIMMS: I think, again, that's where I think the betting world is miss evaluating their roster a little bit, miss evaluating the human aspect. The human aspect of all the things you just said, it's disrespectful to Jordan Love, those defenders are looking at it and going, what the [BLEEP]? I mean, we had a bad year, and we were the 11th ranked defense in football. We're going to-- just I would expect them to be better there.

They know they don't got Aaron Rodgers. I bet you that run game is going to be even more of an emphasis. The O-line's going to take the challenge on. And there are some ways to me where I go, I don't know, Rodgers and some of my complaints in there, and just being a little protective and not aggressive anymore. Them running the ball, this guy taking shots down the field, there's some aspects where I go, it could be maybe even a little more dangerous than we realize with Jordan Love at quarterback.

CONNOR ROGERS: All right, that wraps up today's quarterback rankings. We are going to get to an ask me anything, of course, but before we do, the action never stops at BetMGM. Sign up now using bonus code SIMS, and your first wager is risk free up to $1,000.

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CONNOR ROGERS: Simply download the BetMGM app today or go to BetMGM.com. Enter bonus code SIMS to make your first wager risk free up to $1,000.