One of the best storylines down the stretch of the NFL regular season was the impressive progress and development of Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
After shocking the Dallas Cowboys, the Packers ended up being eliminated by the San Francsico 49ers in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
The Packers actually out-played the Niners for long stretches of the game and you could very easily make the argument that they deserved to win.
Jordan Love was the better Quarterback for 3.5 quarters today, but Brock Purdy was better when it mattered most. pic.twitter.com/LbTcB31zg2
— Ryan G Hensley (@ryanghensley) January 21, 2024
Immediately after the game, Love and Niners quarterback Brock Purdy met at midfield and exchanged a few words.
There was clearly mutual respect between the two.
Microphones caught Love telling Purdy to “go win it,” referencing the Super Bowl of course.
Love 🤝 Purdy #GBvsSF pic.twitter.com/zusv7mNBUK
— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2024
Purdy’s NFL journey stands out as one of the best underdog stories in recent history.
As the last pick in the 2022 draft, known as Mr. Irrelevant, he has overcome every single obstacle put in his way thus far.
For long stretches of the season, he was considered an MVP candidate.
Fred Warner calling the Purdy ➡️ Kittle TD 👀 You love to see it pic.twitter.com/U0jku3QMMa
— The Warner House (@TheWarnerHouse_) January 24, 2024
On the other side, Love, selected 26th overall in the 2020 NFL draft, had to bide his time behind the legendary Aaron Rodgers.
It was only last offseason, after a trade, that Love got his chance to step in as the Packers starting quarterback.
The season with a bit of a rollercoaster – but was undoubtedly filled with many more highs than lows for Love.
What Brock Purdy told Jordan Love before he threw the pick pic.twitter.com/rki1DnBKU7
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) January 21, 2024
For Purdy and the Niners, it’s off to the NFC Championship Game where they’ll face the underdog Detroit Lions on Sunday.
I'll be the first to admit Brock Purdy played a poor game yesterday, but let's not forget he's an ENTIRE year (420 days) younger than Jordan Love.
The expectations of young QBs around the league are different from those of Brock Purdy. National media holds him to the highest… pic.twitter.com/4Kpd9pyAnk
— Kevin Krueger (@kevinkruegs) January 22, 2024
What are your thoughts on both Purdy and Love?
Who would you rather have as your quarterback going forward?
Will Purdy vs. Love be the next great NFC QB rivalry???