In a last-minute tense situation, during the Packers’ season-opener against the Eagles, with just six seconds remaining, and the Green Bay trailing 34-29, QB Jordan Love had a slim chance to pull off a miracle.
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As Love scanned the field for a game-saving pass, Eagles’ Josh Sweat and Jalen Carter collapsed around him, causing the QB’s leg to bend unnaturally.
There has been no official announcement about the nature of Love’s injury but based on the footage from the game, medical professionals on social media gave their analyses. Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT shared how it could be a high ankle sprain or even a lower leg fracture.
Don’t like the mechanism of injury for Jordan Love. Looks to be a
-High ankle sprain
-Need to rule out lower leg fracture pic.twitter.com/FQzuhepct4— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) September 7, 2024
Jeff Mueller, another physical therapist, suspected that Love could be dealing with an MCL sprain or high ankle sprain by citing QB’s visible hobbling on the sidelines.
Jordan Love –
Concern for Left MCL sprain and/or high ankle sprain.
He’s hobbling on the sideline but didn’t have trainers working on him on the bench. pic.twitter.com/MZ8EdPKhD3— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) September 7, 2024
Perhaps, the most worrisome was Dr. Jesse Morse’s analysis–who feared the worst –an ACL tear. In his tweet, he explained that Love’s knee appeared to “shift” during the tackle–a sign of a potential ligament injury.
Like other doctors, Morse also suggested the possibility of a high ankle sprain and blamed the field conditions, which in his view may have contributed to the injury.
Jordan Love #GoPackGo
Left Leg injury
I’ve reviewed the video multiple times and there are a couple different possible injuries, it’s not super clear at the moment.
Most concerning: ACL tear
This is supported by a ‘pivot shift’ where the knee appears to shift/slightly… pic.twitter.com/SUwgJkx8jY
— Jesse Morse, MD (@DrJesseMorse) September 7, 2024
It is also suspected that the field conditions played a role in Love’s injury, as many pointed out that the field in Sao Paulo was not up to standards.
If the surface is uneven, slippery, or poorly maintained, players’ cleats get awkwardly stuck, which leads to ankle or knee injuries. For Love, his left leg buckled when the pressure on his body was at its highest.
The injury happened when Sweat charged, forcing Love to scramble. Just as the Packers QB was on the verge of taking a crushing sack, he managed to get the ball out to RB Josh Jacobs.
Following this, Jacobs darted out of bounds–stopping the clock and giving Green Bay one more shot at winning the Week 1 clash.
In the process of getting tackled by Josh Sweat and Jalen Carter, Love went down awkwardly. Reportedly, in his rush, Carter, wrapped around his legs, caused Love’s ankle to bend unnaturally.
All eyes were on Love as he lay on the ground in pain, clutching his leg. As trainers rushed to Love’s side, thankfully, he was able to walk off the field with their help.
While the Green Bay Packers run further tests on Love, who had a breakout season during the 2023 campaign, the team’s future hangs in the balance.
