In their final game before the postseason, the Packers encountered an injury scare with their star quarterback.
Jordan Love left Green Bay’s game against the Bears with an elbow injury after appearing to make contact with a defender while throwing during the second quarter at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 5, 2025
Love was shaking his hand on the field and flexing it as medical staff examined him both on the field and then on the sideline.
He was labeled as questionable to return and ended up throwing on the Packers’ sideline later in the game, but Green Bay replaced Love with backup Malik Willis and didn’t pivot back to Love — perhaps out of precaution.
Head coach Matt LaFleur said after the game that Love was “good to go back in” and almost did when Willis hurt his thumb, seemingly calming any concerns about Love’s availability for their wild-card game against the Eagles.
Love missed two games earlier this season with an MCL sprain — a best-case scenario for the Packers given the “high level of concern” head coach Matt LaFleur had in the immediate aftermath of their Week 1 loss — and also spent time on the injury report with a groin injury in the middle of the season.
During his absence in September, Willis — a former third-round pick by the Titans in his first season with the Packers — completed 75 percent of his passes for two touchdowns and zero interceptions while guiding Green Bay to a pair of wins.
Love, in his fourth NFL season and first since a four-year, $220 million extension in July made him the highest-paid quarterback in the league at the time, had thrown for 3,320 yards, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions entering Sunday’s game.
The Packers ended up as the No. 7 seed after losing to the Bears, while the Commanders are the No. 6 seed after beating the Cowboys.
Love completed 7 of 12 passes for 69 yards before exiting, and Willis started 6-for-8 for 66 yards but the Packers ended up falling to the Bears, 24-22.
Wideout Christian Watson, who has caught 29 passes for 620 yards and two touchdowns as a key piece of the Packers’ downfield passing game, was carted to the locker room after sustaining a non-contact knee injury.
