Packers GM: GB to Keep Aaron Rodgers 'For Awhile' Despite Drafting Jordan Love

The Green Bay Packers pulled off a stunning move Thursday by drafting Utah State quarterback Jordan Love with the 26th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.  

The Pack already have a signal-caller in Aaron Rodgers, who turns 37 years old in December but is coming off a 26-touchdown season that saw him lead his team to a 13-3 record and an NFC Championship Game appearance.

The question now is what the Pack's plans are at the quarterback position, and general manager Brian Gutekunst offered some insight there, per Aaron Nagler of Cheesehead TV.

"We have the best quarterback in the National Football League, and we plan to have him for awhile," Gutekunst said.

It's possible that the Pack envision a transition of power similar to the one that occurred between superstar Brett Favre and a young Aaron Rodgers in the mid-2000s.

The Pack took Rodgers 24th overall in 2005 despite having Favre, who had thrown 30 touchdowns the year before while completing 64.1 percent of his passes for a 10-6 team, still running the show.

Favre played for three more years while Rodgers backed him up. When he retired, the Packers were able to give Rodgers the starting job.

Of course, chaos ensued when Favre then unretired that summer and couldn't land back in Green Bay, leading to a trade with the New York Jets. But it was Rodgers' show at that point, and the Pack quarterback has been phenomenal ever since.

The question now is whether using the pick on Love was a prudent allocation of resources considering the Pack are in the upper echelon of the NFC, ready to compete for a Super Bowl berth now. The team is also in need of playmakers outside of running back Aaron Jones and wideout Davante Adams.

There was an embarrassment of wideout riches waiting for the Packers, including USC's Michael Pittman Jr., Clemson's Tee Higgins and Colorado's Laviska Shenault Jr. Any one of them could have helped Green Bay's passing game improve.

However, the Packers took an eye toward their long-term future with their pick, even trading up to position themselves for the Love acquisition. They sent the Nos. 30 and 136 selections to the Miami Dolphins to move up four spots and acquire the Utah State quarterback.

Looking ahead, the Pack will make selections at No. 62 and No. 94 overall on Friday, barring further trades.