Is It Worth Giving Jordan Love Any Playing Time In Minnesota?

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love should clear the concussion protocol following a dirty hit from Austin Booker in Week 16 against the Chicago Bears. The injury also forced him to miss Green Bay’s Week 17 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, a game the Packers lost.

"He just didn’t clear the protocol," Matt LaFleur said after the game against Baltimore. "I’m no expert in regards to how it all works. There are a lot of tests you have to pass. Unfortunately, I think he’s feeling physically good, but they have those measures in place to protect our players, and he didn’t pass the necessary tests to clear the protocol."

There has been no indication of a long-term concern. Based on the timeline and how the Packers have handled the situation, all signs point to Love progressing through the protocol as expected and being on track to return for Green Bay’s Week 18 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings without any lingering issues.

With that said, how much, if at all, should Jordan Love see the field in Minneapolis?

The Packers enter Week 18 with little at stake. Following their 41–24 home loss to the Ravens, Green Bay is locked into the seventh seed and will travel to either Chicago or Philadelphia on Wild Card Weekend. While Matt LaFleur probably doesn’t want his team heading into the postseason on a four-game losing streak, he must weigh risk and reward.

At some point, the Packers must weigh the desire to regain momentum against putting a $55 million quarterback back on the field as he returns from a head injury. With the postseason ahead, protecting Love’s availability may ultimately matter more than chasing a symbolic result in a game that has no impact on playoff positioning.

If Jordan Love plays a few series against Minnesota and suffers another injury – concussion-related or not – it would dramatically alter Green Bay’s outlook. The margin for error is already razor-thin given the number of injuries on the roster, and the opponent amplifies the risk. Love would be returning against an aggressive Brian Flores defense that spammed Cover 0 against Jared Goff just a week earlier. The postseason path is difficult enough with No. 10 leading the offense; without him, any remaining hope of a January run would disappear quickly.

On the other hand, if Love doesn’t play against the Vikings, his next NFL action would come three weeks after he last threw a pass in a game. That gap is worth acknowledging, but it also needs context. Once Love clears the concussion protocol, he should take every first-team rep in practice.

Realistically, the difference between those practice reps and a single series in a largely meaningless Week 18 game – one in which Green Bay could also choose to rest other offensive starters – is marginal. From a risk-reward standpoint, the value of live snaps is minimal when weighed against the potential downside, particularly with the postseason looming.

It’s also worth remembering that Love threw just five passes during the preseason before carving up the Detroit Lions’ defense in Week 1, which reinforces the idea that rhythm has not been an issue for him recently.

We’ll see how Matt LaFleur ultimately handles Jordan Love’s availability over the rest of the week, but the prudent move would be to keep him off the field against Minnesota. Green Bay has already experienced how costly a meaningless Week 18 game can be, losing Christian Watson in the same spot last season.

With the postseason ahead, there’s little justification for exposing the starting quarterback to unnecessary risk. The Los Angeles Chargers will rest Justin Herbert under similar circumstances, and that approach offers a blueprint. Protecting the quarterback and prioritizing January should take precedence over chasing reps in a game that carries no playoff implications.