Packers' Jordan Love 'doing everything in his power' to return, Matt LaFleur says

The Green Bay Packers have been without Jordan Love for the past two games, but their starting quarterback could return to the field soon. Love will be a limited participant in practice to start the week, head coach Matt LaFleur said Monday.

"He'll be limited, and then work it day by day," LaFleur said. "He's working through it, he's doing everything in his power, he wants to be out there. We want him out there."

Love injured his knee late in the Packers' season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and was later diagnosed with an MCL sprain. Though he was expected to miss at least three weeks, Love returned to practice last week and said that "he was feeling a lot better." He wasn't ruled out of Week 3 until Sunday. 

In Love's absence, Malik Willis stepped in for the Packers and led them to back-to-back victories. Green Bay traded for the 25-year-old on Aug. 27, sending a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Titans in return. Willis, a third-round selection by Tennessee in the 2022 NFL Draft, started three games as a rookie but was the third-stringer for the Titans last season.

In wins over the Colts and Titans this season, Willis completed 75.8% of his passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 114 yards and another touchdown on the ground.

Once Love is cleared to play, though, he'll be in the lineup. Last year, Love showed the Packers why they drafted him in the first round in 2020. In his first season as a full-time starter, Love put up 4,159 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 96.1 passer rating. He guided Green Bay to the divisional round of the playoffs before they were eliminated in a narrow loss to the San Francisco 49ers. 

Love and the Packers agreed to a four-year, $220 million extension this offseason. He threw for 260 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a narrow 34-29 loss to the Eagles in Week 1.

The Packers (2-1) face the undefeated Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in a pivotal NFC North matchup.

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