Packers QB Jordan Love Sends Indirect 6-Word Message to Detroit Lions After Joint Practice Session With Seattle Seahawks

The Packers are set to host the defending NFC North champion Lions on September 7 at Lambeau Field. It will be the first time since 2005 that the two rivals open the season against each other, and the stakes are clear: an early chance to seize momentum in one of the league’s most competitive divisions.

Love’s remarks came less than two weeks after he underwent surgery to repair ligament damage in his left thumb, an injury suffered in a preseason game against the New York Jets. While the procedure briefly raised concerns about his availability, the fourth-year quarterback returned to practice in a limited capacity within a week. He has since resumed throwing, and all indications point to him being ready for the opener.

Head coach Matt LaFleur said the team has been mindful of managing Love’s workload but praised the quarterback’s ability to stay sharp despite the setback. “He’s handled everything exactly how you want your leader to,” LaFleur said earlier this week. “The energy he brings to practice, even in a modified role, has been outstanding.”

The Packers enter the season looking to build on a promising 2024 campaign in which Love established himself as the franchise’s long-term starter. Surrounded by a young but improving supporting cast, he will be tasked with leading Green Bay back to playoff contention in a division headlined by the surging Lions.

Detroit, meanwhile, arrives with high expectations of its own after falling just short of the Super Bowl last season. The Lions have won four of the last five meetings with Green Bay, including a Week 18 victory at Lambeau Field in 2023 that eliminated the Packers from playoff contention.

Love’s “more juice” comment may have been directed at a single practice, but it captured the mood of a team eager to make a statement. For the Packers, that opportunity comes quickly when the Lions arrive in Week 1.