“Don’t Try and Be Aaron”: Jordan Love Details Matt LaFleur’s Personal Advice

The 2023-24 NFL season was a real game-changer for Jordan Love as he proved his worth after Aaron Rodgers left the Packers. The 25-year-old scored 32 touchdowns and covered 4,159 yards in 17 games, with a passer rating of 96.1. This outstanding feat wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the head coach, Matt LaFleur. 

While appearing on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams, Love looked back at how the Packers HC helped him during the transition period. He admitted LaFleur “makes the job easier” and that “he works out a lot of details” during the strategic meetings.

But there was one key piece of advice he received from the 44-year-old head coach that stuck with Love and helped him get over the mental block of trying to fill the shoes that Rodgers left:

“I think he does a great job coaching us up in the quarterback room specifically. But like you said, he lets me be me. The first thing he told me when I took over was just to be myself. Don’t try and be Aaron, don’t try and be anybody else that’s been here.”

Love took LaFleur’s advice to heart and remarkably led the Packers to the playoffs in the 2023-24 season. Eventually, the Packers lost to the 49ers 24-21, but their campaign included several memorable feats, including the 48-32 victory against the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round. 

Interestingly, Love’s learning mentality proved instrumental in his stupendous growth. The $220M quarterback looked back at his rookie days with remarkable honesty during the podcast. 

Love revisits rookie years with the Packers

While he didn’t have to be Rodgers or try to fill his shoes, he learned and immensely benefitted from watching Rodgers play in his first 3 rookie years. 

A candid Love admitted to feeling that his rookie years were ages ago but hinted his growth occurred at a natural pace. Furthermore, Love expressed a desire to rewatch his old footage for a special reason. He detailed:

“I have grown so much from my rookie year, that it’s definitely night and day at a player what I was. So I want to kind of just go back one day and watch the film from the training camp, just see how bad I was out there.”

As the NFL 2024 season is fast approaching, Love’s form is crucial for the Packers’ Super Bowl chances. The fans and analysts would see just how much the Packers’ QB has improved, as they take on the Browns in the preseason opener on Saturday.