If there is one advice former Green Bay Packers quarterbacks Don Majkowski and Lynn Dickey can give to Jordan Love as he takes over the franchise, it's this: be yourself, not someone like Aaron Rodgers or anybody else.
Speaking to reporters at the 26th Annual Tellurian Celebrity Golf Tournament, the two team legends couldn't help but talk about Love and the challenges that await him as he becomes QB1 for the Packers. Being a starting quarterback in the NFL is already a demanding job, but Love really has to succeed Rodgers who is well considered one of the best QBs in the history of the game.
However, as Love steps into the bright lights as the Packers' signal-caller, Majkowski and Dickey don't want him to change and try to imitate Rodgers or anyone that has come before him. For them, Love needs to focus on himself and improving himself and what he has instead of trying to be someone he isn't.
“He's just got to be himself, study as hard as he can, know the offense as best he can. He's got some HUGE shoes to fill. The last 30 years, with Brett and Aaron, I mean, that was some of the best quarterback play — ever, in football’s history,” said Majkowski, who played for the Packers from 1987 to 1992 and became a Pro Bowler in 1989 after being a 10th-round pick out of Virginia (via Madison).
Dickey, who featured for the Packers from 1976 to 1985 and led the league in touchdowns and yards in 1983, had a similar advice for Love. He emphasized that the youngster doesn't need to replace Rodgers.
“I would tell him, as cliché as it is, ‘Hey, let's try to be 1-0.' And then the second week, ‘Hey, let's be 1-0 this week.' And if you're good enough, the Ws will pile up and take care of themselves. But he’s not going to fill Aaron Rodgers' shoes. And if I was Matt LaFleur, I would tell him, ‘Don’t even try to do that. We want to concentrate on all the things you can do. Just be you,'” Dickey explained.
Jordan Love will certainly want to listen to Don Majkowski and Lynn Dickey. The last thing fans would want to see is him struggle with his identity as a quarterback. The Packers drafted him for a reason, and he simply needs to show that.
It certainly won't be an easy year for Love, but the Packers have their full trust in him. With that said, he can confidently play his game and let everything else fall into place.
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