The Green Bay Packers selected Jordan Love in the first round of the NFL Draft two years ago. Since then, he has been a backup behind Aaron Rodgers and, should Rodgers remain with the Packers, has little chance of playing time. Is a trade the right path for both sides?

Munich – Postseason spring cleaning is upon us in the NFL. Squads are thinned out, coaches changed, players traded. In Green Bay, meanwhile, the house is a bit crooked. Rumours about reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers keep spilling over, the cap situation is not rosy and some mainstays could leave the team in free agency.

Amidst the chaos, one personnel is getting lost: Jordan Love. The former first-round pick has been largely overshadowed by Rodgers so far and is likely to continue to sit on the bench if Rodgers stays with the Packers. Head coach Matt LaFleur’s team is currently pulling out all the stops to convince Rodgers to stay.

If that scenario plays out, a trade could be beneficial for Love and the Packers.

Love: A better option than a rookie?

For Jordan Love, a move would mean playing time and the chance for a lucrative contract extension that comes with it. Currently, his rookie contract has two years remaining, plus the possibility of a fifth-year option. If he only sits on the bench in the next two seasons, it will cost him minutes and his negotiating position would suffer.

Experts are also fairly unanimous that this year’s NFL Draft has comparatively few talented quarterbacks. Teams still searching for a franchise quarterback could trade for Love – and likely wouldn’t have to leave a first-round pick on the table.

Love could learn two years behind Rodgers. The Packers’ scheme is among the most popular in the league. In his limited playing time, Love repeatedly flashed his talent, though he also made some simple mistakes. “His development so far has been good, but he still has room to go,” LaFleur said a few weeks ago.

Game against Chiefs: Between light and shadow

His only career start on the ninth against the Kansas City Chiefs resembled a ride on a razor blade. Behind a shaky and replacement-weakened offensive line, with little preparation and against a Chiefs defence fired up by the home stadium, Love made several careless mistakes. He missed pass receivers several times, didn’t read the field properly and threw an interception.

On the other hand, he did show off his throwing ability and mobility on some passes, the sheer potential that made him a first-round pick.

Packers could use picks

The Packers, meanwhile, could use the compensation in the form of draft capital. The contracts of several starters, including Davante Adams’, are expiring and Green Bay is, as of today, nearly $50 million over cap space.

If they can get a couple of picks for Love, it could help cushion the potential loss of several props and allow them to be more variable in the draft. “You never know when the opportunity is going to come to start,” Love said after his debut against the Chiefs.

And maybe the next opportunity will come in the wake of a change of scenery during spring cleaning.