LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The NFL world, for the most part, enters Week 1 in the dark about what the post-Aaron Rodgers era will look like in Green Bay.
With Rodgers now calling New Jersey home, the Packers will hand the keys to the franchise to fourth-year quarterback Jordan Love on Sunday when they kick off the 2023 season against the Bears at Soldier Field.
The Bears are preparing for Love’s unknown by focusing on the Packers’ scheme more than Love’s limited NFL tape. But with three former Packers on the team and one of the coaches who decided to draft Love in 2019, the Bears have at least some idea of ​​what to expect Sunday.
“He’s very good. He’s talented,” new Bears tight end Robert Tonyan told NBC Sports Chicago. “He’s a first-round draft pick for a reason. The times he — I think Kansas City when he started and when he came in against the Eagles — he had some good games. Obviously that you have to play ball to learn and be experienced.â€
Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy was part of the Packers’ brain trust that drafted Love in 2020. Getsy watched Love grow over two seasons while sitting behind Rodgers and knows what the young signal caller can do now that he’s not behind a legendary signal- caller.
“His college film, it shows his athleticism, it shows his natural passing abilities, and then he comes in and is a humble kid,” Getsy said. “I thought he handled that situation very well. He came in raw his first year experiencing that system at Utah State, and then every year, he got better and better and more comfortable with what was going on.”
Tonyan spent the first five years of his NFL career in Green Bay. He considers Love a good friend and has seen growth accelerated by sitting behind Rodgers.
“I think just learning the game,” Tonyan told NBC Sports Chicago. “Coming from Utah State, it’s a little different than playing in the NFL. Just getting the reps under his belt. The confidence grew. Now, it’s his team, the growth of confidence and leadership especially there.
“You can definitely see him getting better on film,” Tonyan said. “Obviously, when you have Aaron in there, you don’t see him grow as a leader. As a player, he gets better every year.”
Offensive lineman Lucas Patrick shared the building with Love for two seasons in Green Bay and witnessed why the Packers used No. 26 overall pick him to eventually replace Rodgers.
“He’s a tough kid,” Patrick said. “Tough kid. Smart. Obviously talented. We saw where they took him in the draft. He’s willing to learn, too. Nothing but good things to say about the kid.”
It’s rare for a quarterback to sit for three years and still get the keys. That Love stuck it out and finally got his chance is a testament to that tenacity. But Patrick sees it as a natural progression for a young player tasked with learning the most difficult position in sports.
“No offense to all of you, but you put it under this giant microscope and that’s a tough position to play in,” Patrick said. “If you have to come in and study what they’re going to study, I’m impressed that guys can go in there with an offseason. If it were me, it would be good to let them develop. See what happens.”
The Bears are confident they have a good understanding of what Love will throw at them on Sunday. They know he’s athletic and brings an element of escapability that’s hard to prepare for without a lot of film. But the Bears’ new-look defensive line spends every day practicing against Justin Fields, which they believe is the best preparation for the unknown.
A new chapter in the Bears-Packers rivalry begins Sunday, with a new quarterback under center in green and gold—a quarterback unknown. But one of the Bears was uniquely qualified to have a good sense before they confronted him.
“He’s a good quarterback,” wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown told NBC Sports Chicago. “He never had a chance because he was behind Aaron. But he’s a good quarterback.”
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