The Detroit Lions are opening their regular season against the Green Bay Packers, and a key Packer is getting a procedure done on his hand before the season begins.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love is undergoing a procedure to repair a ligament issue on his left thumb (non-throwing hand) per the team’s general manager Brian Gutekunst. It doesn’t appear to be a serious issue, however, with Gutekunst saying Love will hopefully return to practice next week.
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Love, entering his sixth NFL season, has been the Packers’ starting quarterback since 2023. He’s gone 18-15 in his two years as the stater and has led the Packers to the playoffs in both seasons. He hasn’t had much success against the Lions, however, going 2-4 in six games played in his career and losing both games to the Lions in the 2024 season.
The Lions defense has generally contained Love, who has thrown at least 25 touchdown passes in each of his last two seasons. Among divisional opponents, the Lions have held Love to his lowest passer rating (86.2) and completion percentage (62.5%) while intercepting him five times over six games.
The Packers finished 11-6 in the 2024 season, good for third in the NFC North standings and a wild card berth in the NFC playoffs, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 22-10.
The Lions and the Packers ranked No. 5 and No. 6 respectively in ESPN’s Future Power Rankings, released on Monday, Aug. 11. At least one NFL insider is more optimistic about the Packers than the Lions for 2025, however, with USA TODAY’s Nate Davis predicting the Packers will win the division (though he also predicts the Lions will earn a wild card berth).
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The Lions open the season against the Packers on Sunday, Sept. 7, at 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS).
You can reach Christian Romo at cromo@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Packers’ Jordan Love, who opens vs Lions, undergoing thumb procedure