After an injury-plagued and inconsistent 2024 season, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love landed just outside the top 10 quarterbacks and earned an honorable mention in ESPN’s ranking of the position entering the 2025 season. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN creates the rankings via votes from coaches, executives and scouts around the NFL.

Love and Houston’s C.J. Stroud were the two honorable mentions outside the top 10. Love’s highly anticipated second season as a starter got derailed early by knee injury suffered in Week 1 and later by a groin injury midseason.

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One evaluator on the personnel side thought Love’s inconsistencies were tied in part to the injuries.

“It looked like it took him time to work through managing that injury,” the personnel evaluator told Fowler. “Another full offseason with [head coach Matt] LaFleur and more receiving options and he’ll be fine.”

The Packers also struggled with catching the football, hurting Love’s numbers. In response, general manager Brian Gutekunst added first-round pick Matthew Golden and third-round pick Savion Williams to the mix at receiver during the draft, and signed veteran Mecole Hardman.

Despite the injuries and drops, Love still ended up throwing 25 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions while averaging 8.0 yards per attempt and finishing with a higher success rate, higher passer rating and higher QBR compared to his 2023 season. He also took only 14 sacks despite occasionally limited mobility, showcasing his ability to avoid negative plays, and the Packers improved by two wins overall.

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It’s possible Love’s development was incremental in 2024 and got clouded by the injuries and the Packers’ inability to beat any of the NFC’s best teams down the stretch. Green Bay finished 11-6 and made the postseason but were 0-6 against the Eagles, Vikings and Lions.

To crack the top 10 entering 2026, Love needs to stay healthy, make more off-schedule plays and play better against top competition in 2025. He is capable — one personnel evaluator told Fowler that Love was “outstanding” during the final stretch of 2023, providing evidence of sustained elite-level play. Healthy again and given a few more toys in the passing game, Love now has a chance to cement his place as one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks this season.

ESPN’s QB rankings entering 2025

Honorable mentions: CJ Stroud, Jordan Love

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers QB Jordan Love lands just outside top 10 of ESPN QB rankings entering 2025