The Cheeseheads had their hearts in their mouths after seeing Jordan Love seething in pain in the dying moments of their Week 1 game. Fortunately, an ACL tear was ruled out, with the recovery time set at 3 to 4 weeks. However, while fans were relieved by this outcome, they are clearly uneasy about the latest news indicating Love could return as soon as this Sunday.
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The majority of well-wishers are concerned about a comeback this soon for a simple reason: they don’t want to see an RGIII-like situation with their talisman. And rightfully so.
According to Adam Schefter, Love’s recovery is being assessed on a day-to-day basis, unlike the longer timeline first reported. His source also revealed that the feeling inside the camp is positive for the QB returning prematurely.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he plays this week,” the source said. It was also mentioned in Schefter’s tweet that even if Love doesn’t play in the Titans game this weekend, there’s a strong chance he’ll be in the lineup against the Vikings next week.
For the Packers fanbase, though, this report presented more questions than answers in their minds. Are Matt LaFleur & Co. rushing Jordan Love? How did a month-long recovery period cut down to just two weeks?
With the reports being clueless about these questions, Green Bay fans now fear the worst — Love is being rushed to start.
As history has shown, rushing a highly-rated QB back into the lineup right after an injury has rarely ended well. RGIII’s dramatic downfall still haunts fans, and concerned Packers supporters have taken to social media, urging their team not to repeat the same mistake.
Please don’t RGIII Jordan Love, the guy got potential
— NFL World, What’s Up?? (@Whats_Up_NFL) September 19, 2024
Packers rushing him back? That’s not a good idea
— Big Mike || Quinn Meinerz’s #1 Fan (@MeinerzMuse) September 19, 2024
Don’t RG3 him.
Plz let him rest up if needed
— topher. (@somegaveall) September 19, 2024
With Love being so young and having so much left in his career, why risk rushing him back for just a Week 3 game?
— TIN Sports (@TrendInfoNow) September 19, 2024
As netizens rightly pointed out, it’s too early in the season to resort to such desperate measures. Another talking point from Packers fans’ reaction is the impact RGIII’s downfall has had on fans.
From being the Lamar Jackson of his generation to seeing a sorry end to his career, RGIII, like Johnny Manziel, remains a “What-If” in NFL fans’ minds.
RGIII’s career took an ugly turn after a botched comeback from injury
Back in the early 2010s, no rookie had as much hype as RGIII had. For starters, Griffin’s ability to be equally proficient with his legs like his arms was a unique proposition then. And to top it all, he had the stats to back up his abilities, with his Heisman Trophy standing as a testament to this claim.
After a successful college career, Griffin got drafted second overall to the Washington Commanders in what was being touted as a landmark move for the team. However, his NFL career turned out to be far from ideal.
RGIII started brightly for the club with an inspired performance against the Saints to get the victory for his team. He continued piling up decent performances throughout the season until he got injured in the postseason that year. This injury was the turning point of his career as life turned upside down for the rookie.
He spent the entirety of the offseason rehabbing the two torn knee ligaments. Logically, he should not have been in the playing squad in Week 1, as he had not taken part in a single training drill or practice match in the preseason.
But thanks to the personal interests of his sponsors, Adidas, the ignorance of his head coach, and his own inability to take charge of his wellbeing, RGIII was rushed back to start in the Week 1 fixture. The result? RGIII was a shadow of himself, as he could barely run or pass.
The season turned out to be bad from worse for the player as his repeated stinkers and sacking got him benched. Injuries also started piling up, and not even a change in scenery could help him recover from the botched comeback from the injury.
His constant woe with injuries eventually forced him to retire in 2020 at the age of 30.
For someone who had 10366 passing yards and 78 TDs in college, Griffin ended his NFL career with 9271 passing yards and 43 TDs. Let’s just say, there aren’t as big “What-if” cases in the NFL as RGIII’s. But as fans are concerned, Jordan Love could face a similar fate.
