Sizing up Packers’ Jordan Love with other NFL quarterbacks in their first season starting and how he got here

Jordan Love was the league’s biggest question mark heading into the season but has since turned into a beautiful mystery for the Packers. Nothing is set in stone, but most signs are pointing toward stardom. 

He’s been a top-five QB since the Packers GM admitted Love’s play was “up and down” through the first half of the season. There’s still a bit of uncertainty, but we are getting a clearer picture every week why Green Bay gave Love the reins. 

He’s been a fringe top-10 QB over the course of the year through all the peaks and valleys, ranking 11th in passer rating, fifth in EPA per dropback and 10th in ESPN’s Total QBR. 

His counting stats are especially jarring as he ranks third in the NFL with 30 touchdown passes. He already has more touchdown passes and passing yards in his first season as a full-time starter than any QB has in a season in Bears history. He’s one of 10 QBs in NFL history (and first Packers QB) to hit the 30-TD threshold in his first season starting at least half his team’s games. 

Most pass TD in first season as full-time starter in NFL history

It’s an impressive list that made me curious where this stacks up among the best seasons by a QB in his first as a full-time starter. Using one counting stat like touchdown passes, although impressive on the surface, would not be fair across eras. To get a better idea I looked at Pro Football Reference’s ANY/A+ metric. This stands for “adjusted net yards per attempt index” and is regarded as a better version of passer rating that is era adjusted where 100 is average. 

Love’s ANY/A+ this year is 108 and ranks 45th among 266 QBs in their first season as a full-time starter dating to 1978, when the NFL went to a 16-game schedule. He’s right there with Aaron Rodgers (112) and Brett Favre (106) in their first full seasons with Green Bay. He’s also near the company of Russell Wilson (114), Baker Mayfield (108), Justin…

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Author : Douglas Clawson

Publish date : 2024-01-03 15:13:17

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