Why Isn’t Aaron Rodgers Playing in a Huge Showdown Against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs?
The Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs highlight one of the biggest matchups of the weekend. Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes, the present and the future, face off in a massive battle.
Or so we thought.
Unfortunately, Rodgers is out for a massive game after the reigning NFL MVP tested positive for COVID-19. A monster matchup between two stud quarterbacks is out on hold.
Unvaccinated Aaron Rodgers is out after testing positive and Jordan Love will start
After months and months of discussion and rumors, Jordan Love will finally get his first NFL start. However, it isn’t for the circumstances everybody imagined.
Rodgers tested positive on Wednesday and will remain out until November 13 at the earliest because he is unvaccinated.
In the summer, Rodgers told people he was “immunized,” “and the assumption was that he was vaccinated. However, that isn’t the case, and now the Packers might be without their starting quarterback for more than just one game.
The highly-anticipated Mahomes-Rodgers showdown is put on pause with Rodgers out, and Love will be thrown into the Packers’ starting lineup in a shocking development.
Deep dive into Jordan Love, the Packers starting quarterback vs. the Chiefs
Remember Jordan Love?
The Packers selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and it did not go over well. The fans were confused, Rodgers was confused, everybody was puzzled at the time.
Sure, Love played well at Utah State, but the Packers didn’t necessarily need a quarterback. Then, Rodgers went on to win the NFL MVP in 2020 and lead the Packers to the NFC Championship game before ultimately losing to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This will be Love’s first career NFL start. He made a brief appearance in Week 1 with the Packers down big time to the New Orleans Saints. Love finished the game 5-of-7 for 68 yards with no touchdowns.
In college, Love was sensational. He threw for just under 7000 yards combined with 52 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Utah State. He would have been drafted higher, too, but his last year, he finished with 20 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, something that scared teams off a bit.
Nonetheless, the Packers were ready to go into the season and start Love, especially with the tricky situation Rodgers was going through during the offseason.
Well, here’s Love’s chance to show Green Bay what he has.
The depleted Packers quarterback room
After Love, the only other active quarterback on the roster is recently signed Blake Bortles. This past week, Kurt Benkert also landed on the COVID-19 list, leaving the Packers eerily thin at the position.
Hopefully, Love can play well and stay upright. Otherwise, it might be Bortles’ time in Green Bay. The former Jacksonville Jaguars starting quarterback spent time with the time before being released in the summer.
Unfortunately, the Patrick Mahomes-Aaron Rodgers battle is off the radar. Instead, it will be the long-awaited first career start for Love.
Stats Courtesy of Pro Football Reference
