Back in 2021 when Jordan Love was signed by the Green Bay Packers, not many expected the QB to be as good as he is today. After spending the first two seasons in Aaron Rodgers’ shadow, Love had a coming of age last season with 32 TDs scored and 4,159 yards covered. His exploits last season have raised his stocks considerably in the NFL with many DEs being varied. However, there is a debutant DE this season who Jordan Love will be acquainted with. The DE is Ron Stone Jr., Jordan’s girlfriend’s brother.
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The 24-year-old Defensive End is entering the NFL on the back of a stellar campaign for Washington State. To put things into context, last season saw Ron record his career-best numbers of 60 tackles, 11 for a loss, and 5.0 sacks. These exploits have thus landed him in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders taking a punt on Ron.
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The WSU alum’s signing has been a matter of excitement for the Raiders fandom as he comes with an extensive experience of 5 years. Moreover, veteran ESPN analyst Mel Kiper also rated him as the 25th-best outside linebacker among active players in the collegiate circuit. Factor in his versatility in the defense line and Ron Stone becomes a rock-solid partner for the Raiders’ superstar DE Maxx Crosby.
All said, the Raiders with Ron’s signing have certainly added an element of youthfulness and vigor to their backline. This particularly bodes well for Las Vegas when facing teams led by accomplished QBs, especially against the likes of Patrick Mahomes with whom there seems to be a rivalry brewing.
Crosby’s Raiders Vs Jordan Love’s Packers, The Next Big Rivalry?
For the last four decades, the Raiders vs Packers game has been one-way traffic favoring Green Bay. It was only last season that the Raiders broke their duck of losing eight straight games against the Packers with a 17-13 victory. Considering the constant humiliation that the Raiders face from the Packers, the rivalry will now get more spicy with Ron Stone Jr. in the mix.
On the one hand, the Las Vegas Raiders will be fighting for their pride, while Jordan Love, on the other hand, will be fighting to not lose his domination. The Packers QB in particular would be hoping to not lose to his potential brother-in-law, adding more layers to this budding rivalry.
Unfortunately for us, we can only dream of this match for the time being, as the Raiders won’t be taking on the Packers in the regular season this year. However, both teams have been heralded by many as the dark horses for the Super Bowl this time. Thus it would be a delight if the two teams were to lock horns in the playoffs this time raising the stakes even higher.
