Packers' Aaron Jones: Jordan Love 'Definitely Ready' If Aaron Rodgers Doesn't Return

Green Bay Packers running back believes Jordan Love is prepared to take over as the team's starting quarterback if given the opportunity in 2023.

Appearing Friday on the Around The NFL podcast, Jones said the following about Love's readiness and the possibility of the Packers moving on from longtime starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers:

"Us guys in the locker room, we know we control what we can control. Just focus on yourself, get the offseason started and going, and control what you can control. If he's here, great, we love it. If he's not, we'll be sad. We'd lose one of our leaders, one of our great locker room guys. It's hard to replace somebody like that. But I think if that was to happen, Jordan is definitely ready."

Jones has spent his entire six-year NFL career in Green Bay, and Rodgers is the only full-time starting quarterback he has ever known with the team.

The same can be said for many players on Green Bay's roster, but Rodgers' future is very much in flux coming off an 8-9 season that saw the Packers miss the playoffs and Rodgers throw the second-most interceptions of his career (12).

Rodgers was his dominant self in 2020 and 2021, winning NFL MVP each season, but he dropped off significantly in 2022, and it is fair to wonder how much good football he has left in him at 39 years of age.

If the Packers do trade Rodgers, it will be due to the organization's desire to see what Love can do under center rather than just letting him walk in free agency after the 2023 season without ever getting a fair shake.

Love was the No. 26 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, and while he has shown flashes during the preseason, he only has 83 regular-season passing attempts and one regular-season start to his credit.

In limited duty this season, Love went 14-of-21 for 195 yards, one touchdown and no picks, inspiring some confidence that he could be the long-term answer.

Moving on from one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time in Rodgers for a relative unknown in Love would be a risk, but it worked once before for the Packers when they chose Rodgers over Brett Favre in 2008.