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NFL Rumors: Packers' Jordan Love Expected to Miss 3-6 Weeks with Knee Injury

Julia Stumbaugh

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love suffered a sprained MCL in the team's Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in São Paulo, Brazil, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Love underwent tests on Saturday that revealed the MCL sprain with no ACL damage, Rapoport noted. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Love's "initial timetable for return" is somewhere between three and six weeks.

Love suffered the injury with six seconds remaining during the Packers' 34-29 loss to the Eagles on Friday night. He was helped to the sideline and did not return to the game.

Love went 17-of-34 for 260 yards, two touchdowns and an interception prior to the injury.

If he is forced to miss the Packers' Week 2 contest against the Indianapolis Colts, offseason acquisition Malik Willis will be expected to step up in his place.

Willis took two snaps against the Eagles following Love's injury on Friday. He threw one incompletion before taking a sack on the final play of the game.

The Packers dealt a seventh-round pick to the Tennessee Titans in late August in order to acquire Willis as a backup for Love.

Willis has 12 regular-season NFL appearances and three starts on his resume. He last started in December 2022 for the Titans.

Practice-squad signal caller Sean Clifford, who made two regular-season appearances and completed one pass in relief for the Packers last season, could be called up to back up Willis if Love is forced to miss time.

Clifford was expected to compete for the backup spot behind Love before struggling with interceptions during training camp and then losing his spot to Willis. He reportedly made the trip to São Paulo on Friday but was not named to the 53-man roster prior to the game.

Love ranked second in the NFL with 32 touchdown passes last season as he racked up a career-high 4,159 passing yards in his first season as the Packers' starter.

Green Bay placed a sizable bet on the 25-year-old quarterback this offseason by signing him to a four-year, $220 million contract that tied him as the best-paid player in NFL history and ended the uncertainty surrounding the position following Aaron Rodgers' departure from the franchise in 2022.

Given the two relatively unproven starting options behind Love on the depth chart, the Packers will hope for his speedy return to the field as the team looks to earn their first win of the 2024 season against the Colts next Sunday.

   

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