Paul Bretl | 8/18/2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. — As was the hope all along, six days after Packers quarterback Jordan Love had surgery on his left thumb, he returned to practice on Monday.
To start each practice, the team goes through a walk-through period. Love did not participate in that portion, with the quarterback having to take snaps from under center or out of shotgun.
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During the 11-on-11 periods, Love didn’t participate in that either for the reasons just mentioned, as his thumb is still on the mend. So, taking the starting snaps during those periods was Malik Willis.
To accommodate Love and ensure that he was getting some valuable reps, Matt LaFleur altered practice a bit, which included having two 7-on-7 periods.
As LaFleur has mentioned before, he’s not a fan of 7-on-7s because there is no pass rush for the quarterback to be mindful of or pocket to navigate. But a unique circumstance calls for a unique solution.
“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.”
During the 7-on-7 drills, Love either took the snap off a stool, or when lined up in shotgun, he started with the ball in his hands, so he didn’t have to catch it.
On a very rainy day at Ray Nitschke Field, Love wore a plastic bag over his non-throwing hand to keep the wrap over his thumb dry.
Overall, Love finished the day completing 16-of-24 passes in the 7-on-7 periods. He would throw two interceptions–although one might have been weather-induced, as it appeared the ball sailed on him in the slick conditions–but Love also had two terrific touch passes in the red zone to Matthew Golden for touchdowns.
Love underwent the surgery last Tuesday. He sustained the injury in the preseason opener against the New York Jets after hitting his hand on a helmet while being sacked.
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.
Last week, LaFleur would say that it was “highly unlikely” that Love plays in the preseason finale against Seattle. As far as the joint practice on Thursday, Love’s availability is still up in the air. The Packers have a padded practice on Tuesday as well.