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Is Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love playing against the Baltimore Ravens?
There’s no bigger question for the Packers and its fan base heading into the team’s home finale on Dec. 27 than that one.
Love was knocked out of the team’s 22-16 overtime loss to the Chicago Bears on Dec. 20 with a concussion after a helmet-to-helmet hit in the second quarter. He’s progressing through the concussion protocol steps needed to return, but his status still isn’t clear for the Week 17 game.
Here’s what we know about whether the Packers’ QB1 will play on Saturday night:
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Is Jordan Love playing this week?
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur gave an honest answer on Wednesday, Dec. 24, three days before the Packers’ next game as to whether Love will be on the field.
“Who knows?” LaFleur said. “I really don’t know.”
LaFleur initially stated that he anticipated knowing Love’s status a day before the game but quickly retracted that statement, noting there’s a lot of variables at play.
“It’s just a very delicate issue,” LaFleur noted. “We’ve seen it with certain guys, they come in, they feel great one day, and then the next day they don’t. So it really is kind of a moving target.”
What is the NFL concussion protocol?
Love must follow and pass a five-step process before being cleared to fully practice or participate in an NFL game. It’s the same protocol for any player who suffers a concussion in a game.
Here are the five steps:
Symptom limited activityAerobic exerciseFootball specific exerciseClub-based non-contact training drillsFull football activity/clearance
The NFL notes that since each player and each concussion is unique, there is no set timeframe for return to play.
A player’s current concussive injury, plus past exposures and medical history, family history and future risk in managing a player’s care are all considered by team medical staff, the NFL states.
After Love goes through the five-step process and is cleared for full participation by the Packers’ club physician, he must be seen and separately cleared by an Independent Neurological Consultant. Only after Love is cleared by the INC can he return to an NFL game.
Jordan Love injury update
Love remains in concussion protocol ahead of the Packers’ game against the Ravens.
But Love took part in a walk-through with the team on Tuesday, Dec. 23, and was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, Dec. 24.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love throws during a Christmas Eve practice
Packers quarterback Jordan Love remains in concussion protocol but took part in practice Dec. 24 ahead of a Dec. 27 game against the Ravens.
Jordan Love highlights at practice
How Jordan Love looked at practice on Dec. 24:
Jordan Love injury
Love sustained the concussion against the Bears on a helmet-to-helmet hit by Bears defensive end Austin Booker with 8:21 left in the second quarter.
Booker was called for a roughing-the-passer penalty, his second in the game.
Here’s the moment:
Here are photos from the injury and Love going back to the locker room:
Packers quarterback situation: Packers quarterback depth chart
While Love returned to practice on Dec. 24, backup quarterback Malik Willis did not practice due to an illness. He is also battling a banged up shoulder, an injury he received late in regulation against the Bears. Willis, however, has said that he intends to play on Saturday if needed.
Here’s the Packers’ QB depth chart as the statuses of the team’s top two quarterbacks remains fluid midway through the week.
Practice squad: Clayton Tune (must be moved off the practice squad to the 53-man roster to be eligible to play)