Jordan Love's rapid recovery from his MCL sprain has made him playing this weekend against the Tennessee Titans a possibility. While he was expected to miss multiple weeks, Love will be a game-time decision for Sunday's game, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said on Friday.
"He's doing everything in his power," LaFleur said on Love's Week 3 status. "We'll give it to game time."
Love practiced Wednesday for the first time since suffering the injury during Green Bay's season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He was limited that day as well as during Thursday and Friday's practices.
"There's a lot of boxes (to check)," Love said of the recovery process. "What it feels like to take those drops, be in the live fire … the trainers are doing a good job of monitoring me and seeing how I'm doing and how I'm reacting to every play. They'll be the ones to clear me when the time comes."
Love said that, while being exclusively a pocket passer on Sunday isn't realistic, he acknowledged that he doesn't need to be able to do everything he can normally do in order to play.
Love was not medically cleared to play in Green Bay's home opener this past Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. With Love looking on, backup Malik Willis went 12 of 14 that included a touchdown pass in Green Bay's 16-10 win. Willis was aided by a Packers rushing attack that gorged the Colts for 261 yards on 53 carries.
Love was initially expected to be out anywhere from 2-6 weeks, so his practice participation this week would suggest his return may be on the earlier side of said timetable. Green Bay (1-1) travels to face Tennessee (0-2) -- Willis' former team -- before hosting NFC North division rival Minnesota (1-1) in Week 4. Green Bay will head to the West Coast to face the Rams (0-2) in Week 5 before returning home to host Arizona (1-1) and Houston (2-0) in consecutive weeks.
While Love is making progress, Willis is prepared to face his former team on Sunday if he is asked to do so. Willis was unceremoniously traded to the Packers this offseason after two seasons in Nashville.
"When I got traded, it was a little bit emotional," Willis recently said of the situation. "I didn't know how to feel. But with the season coming, I just had to flush all that. We can worry about it later, and just understand this season doesn't wait on anybody. ... This is a results-based business. That's just what it is. I just continued to try to work until I got another opportunity and it just so happened it came (last) week."
