Paul Bretl | 8/18/2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. — It’s been less than a week since Packers quarterback Jordan Love had surgery on his left thumb. The plan from the start has been for him to return to the practice field this upcoming week, and things still seem to be on that path, with Matt LaFleur hopeful that Love can get on the practice field “in some capacity.”
But what exactly is this week going to look like for Love practice-wise?
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The Packers will hold a closed practice on Monday, and LaFleur would “love” to get Love some reps, but that was still to be determined as of Sunday afternoon. Tuesday will be a padded practice, Wednesday will be a walkthrough, and Thursday will be the joint practice with Seattle.
LaFleur said last week that it is “highly unlikely” that Love plays in the preseason game Saturday against Seattle, while his status for the joint practice is still up in the air.
Whenever Love does return to the practice field, how the Packers go about getting him reps will have to be modified.
“We’re going to alter some things to allow him to get involved,” LaFleur said on Sunday. “Do my favorite seven-on-seven that I absolutely despise, but in some instances, it’s good. So I’d rather have him do that than just throw on air. So we’ll incorporate some seven-on-seven into practice.”
In the 7-on-7 drills, there are no offensive and defensive linemen on the field, except for the center to snap the ball. This is a passing-heavy drill, and the reason LaFleur isn’t a huge fan of it is because it’s unrealistic. Navigating the opposing pass rush is a massive part of playing the quarterback position, and in this drill, that element is non-existent.
Love sustained the thumb injury during the Packers’ preseason opener against the New York Jets. On Love’s final play of the game, his hand hit a helmet as he was being sacked.
Love went through a full practice last week before the surgery with his left thumb taped to see how the injury felt and how it held up throughout the session as part of the evaluation and decision-making process.
When speaking with reporters at the Packers-Colts joint practice, Love acknowledged that had this injury occurred in the middle of the season, he “probably” wouldn’t have gotten the surgery. But with time still on his side, with the regular season still a few weeks away, Love opted to get the procedure so he could enter the regular season fully healthy.
While Love is in the midst of a ramp-up period as he works his way back from the recent surgery, he believes he will be “100 percent healthy” going into the 2025 season.
“I think the main thing is he’s attacking his rehab and following what Flea and Nate are giving him,” said quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion. “In terms of that, he’s been hard at work with that. I think for us it’s just being flexible and finding ways to get him back into the swing of things.
“Again, 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.”