GREEN BAY — Matt LaFleur got his wish: Quarterback Jordan Love — six days removed from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb — took part in the Green Bay Packers’ training-camp practice on Tuesday.
Now, it required the Packers head coach to replace the usual 11-on-11 periods he usually runs during a normal practice with 7-on-7 periods — something LaFleur, by his own admission, despises — and a few other adjustments, but it was well worth it to get his starting QB back in action, even on a limited basis.
And even in the rain.
Love, who sustained the injury to his non-throwing hand while being sacked during the Packers’ Aug. 9 loss to the New York Jets in the preseason opener, directed to 7-on-7 periods and threw three touchdowns and two interceptions on the day.
And while Love won’t play in Saturday preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks at Lambeau Field — and it’s unclear how much he’ll take part in Thursday’s joint practice with the Seahawks — the coaches and fellow quarterbacks Malik Willis, Sean Clifford and Taylor Elgersma were thrilled to see him on the Ray Nitschke Field grass.
“It was cool. It was like the Four Musketeers, back together, just rolling,” Willis said. “It was cool.”
The 7-on-7 periods took the offensive and defensive linemen off the field, preventing any inadvertent, accidental bumps into Love’s still-healing thumb.
On top of that, Love didn’t take any snaps from under center or from the shotgun. He had the ball already in his hand for some drills, and during the 7-on-7 periods, he picked the ball up off a stool placed where the center normally would be.
Asked if a quarterback’s left hand affects his throwing in any way, Willis, who like Love is right-handed, replied, “Not at all. If it does, you’re probably a left-handed quarterback. Other than that, you’re probably good.”
The rain started during practice and the team’s athletic training staff covered whatever Love was wearing on his left hand — a wrap, brace or cast — with a plastic bag to keep it from getting soaked during the downpour.
“It’s always tough [practicing in the rain]. But it’s good work, though,” Clifford said. “We always call it ‘wet ball’ work. Whenever you can just come out and experience that, I know that there is going to be a game this year in Green Bay, Wisconsin that’s not going to be ideal weather conditions and I think it’s important to practice that. So it’s good work.”
While Love handled the conditions well, it’s still hard to predict exactly how his healing will progress and what he’ll be able to do when.
Vice president of player health and performance Bryan “Flea” Engel and director of sports medicine/head athletic trainer Nate Weir are supervising his rehabilitation but how soon Love will be back to normal is unclear.
The Packers’ Sept. 7 regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field is 20 days away.
“The main thing is he’s attacking his rehab and following what Flea and Nate are giving him. He’s been hard at work with that,” quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion said. “For us, it’s just being flexible and finding ways to get him back into the swing of things.
“It’s just all about how can we stimulate him mentally in the meetings and then following what Nate and Flea are giving him and just keep finding ways to work him in as things move forward.”
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