The NFL MVP race doesn’t usually heat up until midseason. Jordan Love, though, may have just lit the first spark. After an up-and-down 2024 campaign marked by injuries and inconsistency, the Green Bay Packers quarterback opened the 2025 season with a statement performance against the defending NFC North champions. It wasn’t just a divisional win, too. It was the kind of efficient, composed showing that forces you to ask: is Love about to go from a question mark to a legitimate MVP frontrunner?
Packers make a statement against Lions
After finishing just 1-5 against the NFC North last season, Green Bay entered Sunday’s clash with Detroit determined to make a statement. The Packers did exactly that. They rolled to a 27-13 victory over the defending division champions. Love and the offense set the tone with an 83-yard opening touchdown drive that included two third-down conversions. Meanwhile, newcomer Micah Parsons wasted no time making his presence felt. He spearheaded a pass rush that sacked Lions QB Jared Goff four times.
From there, the Packers never let up. They held Detroit to just 246 total yards, with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery limited to only 46 yards combined on the ground. Love led five scoring drives. He spread the ball across his young receiving corps and showed poise in the red zone. With Jeff Hafley’s defense suffocating Detroit and Love directing a balanced attack, Green Bay looked every bit like a team ready to contend.
Here we'll try to look at and discuss if Jordan Love's strong 2025 debut vs. Lions make him a 2025 NFL MVP frontrunner.
Love delivers MVP-level efficiency
Love didn’t need to throw for 400 yards to turn heads. What he delivered instead was MVP-style efficiency He tallied 16 completions on 22 attempts, 188 yards, and two touchdowns for a sparkling 128.6 passer rating. He connected with Romeo Doubs on a 20-yard strike to open the game and later found tight end Tucker Kraft for a 15-yard score. Jayden Reed added the second touchdown grab, hauling in another well-placed throw.
Yes, Love cooled off a bit in the second half. He missed a couple of throws he would want back. That said, his first-half command was undeniable. He completed passes to 10 different receivers over four quarters, keeping Detroit’s defense guessing and preventing them from keying on any one target. The ability to orchestrate three straight scoring drives to start the game reflected a quarterback fully in control of his offense.
The long road to QB1
Love’s performance against Detroit didn’t happen in a vacuum. It was the product of years of development, doubt, and resilience. Recall that the Bakersfield, California native played at Utah State from 2016 to 2019. He threw for 8,600 yards and 60 touchdowns. Green Bay saw enough to trade up in the 2020 NFL Draft, selecting him 26th overall. As we all know, however, his rookie season was spent inactive. His second and third years saw only spot duty behind Aaron Rodgers.
When Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets in 2023, the keys to the Packers’ offense were finally handed to Love. His first full season as a starter was rocky early. Still, he finished strong, throwing for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns against 11 interceptions while guiding Green Bay to the playoffs. In the postseason, he added five more touchdowns in two games. By 2024, injuries slowed him down and inconsistency resurfaced. That raised fresh questions about whether he could be the long-term answer. That’s why his Week 1 command in 2025 matters. It looked like a player who has learned, adjusted, and grown into the role.
Overcoming the consistency question
If there’s one lingering concern about Love, it’s ball security. In six divisional games last season, he threw seven touchdowns but also five interceptions. He often struggled against NFC North defenses. Only once did he throw for more than two scores in a divisional matchup. That tendency to mix highlight throws with costly mistakes has been his biggest obstacle to MVP consideration.
However, on Sunday, Love looked like a quarterback determined to flip that narrative. He avoided turnovers and showed no ill effects from offseason thumb surgery. Against a Detroit defense that feasted on mistakes last year, Love gave them nothing. If this new level of consistency carries into October and November, his candidacy for league MVP won’t just be a hot take. It will be a legitimate case.
Green Bay’s big picture and Love’s MVP case
It’s worth noting that MVPs aren’t just about numbers, of course. They're about narrative. The Packers are now listed +900 to win the Super Bowl by some oddsmakers. A strong regular season record would only elevate Love’s profile. If Green Bay reclaims the NFC North and does it on the back of Love’s efficiency and leadership, he’ll be squarely in the conversation.
Objectively speaking, this 2025 debut checked every box. He led scoring drives, made the right reads, spread the ball around, and protected the football. The offense looked balanced, the defense looked dominant, and the Packers looked like a team ready to push deep into January. For Love, that’s the formula to build not just a successful season, but a potential MVP campaign.
Looking ahead
Week 1 isn’t enough to crown an MVP. For Jordan Love, however, it was enough to rewrite the early script of the 2025 season. His poise, efficiency, and leadership against the reigning division champs showed a quarterback ready to seize the moment. He still needs to prove he can sustain this level against top-tier defenses and over a grueling 17-game season, but the foundation is set. If this version of Love sticks around, the MVP race may have found its early frontrunner.
