Jordan Love to Start for Packers vs. 49ers; Aaron Rodgers' Preseason Status TBD

It will be the Jordan Love show for the Green Bay Packers when they take the field Friday for their preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers.

Head coach Matt LaFleur said starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers will not play against the 49ers or in the second preseason game against the New Orleans Saints, per The Athletic. From there, it remains undecided whether he will take the field for the final preseason contest against the Kansas City Chiefs.

That leaves the offense in Love's hands, and he will start against San Francisco.

The Packers selected Love with a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, and there have been times when he seemed like their quarterback of the future given the uncertainty about how long Rodgers will play.

While Rodgers agreed to a three-year extension this offseason, he is also 38 years old and has been rather open about his desire to not play as long as counterpart Tom Brady.

"No, I don't," he told reporters when asked if he saw himself playing until he is 45 years old.

That makes the preseason reps all the more valuable for Love, who could eventually be tasked with following in the footsteps of Rodgers as the Packers' franchise quarterback. He appeared in six games with one start last year and was relatively inconsistent while completing 58.1 percent of his passes for 411 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Preseason starts give the Utah State product an opportunity to read NFL defenses while playing at game speeds and perhaps take strides that Rodgers did long ago.

Rodgers, meanwhile, likely doesn't need to take the field in the preseason to be ready to play come the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. His illustrious resume includes a Super Bowl ring, four league MVPs and 10 Pro Bowl selections.

And his presence under center makes the Packers realistic Super Bowl contenders again in 2022, regardless of whether he takes a single preseason snap.