From “Mr. Irrelevant” to “Mr. Inevitable,” the Green Bay Packers have a knack for turning backup quarterbacks into stars. But has the cheese finally gone bad in Titletown? Colin Cowherd seems to think so, dropping a bombshell take on Jordan Love that’s left Cheeseheads scratching their heads.

“Jordan Love is a bust with 80% of the teams in the league,” Cowherd declared on his podcast. This hot take comes on the heels of Love’s rollercoaster first season as a starter, where he threw for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns, leading the NFL’s youngest team to a wild-card berth.

Cowherd’s critique is particularly puzzling given his praise for Love’s maturity soon after the take. “I think it shows maturity that Jordan love who you know in the end the last couple years he was in Green Bay he was much more athletic than Aaron Rodgers and he didn’t say a peep,” Cowherd noted.

Cowherd’s critique stems from his belief that Love’s success is largely due to the Packers’ system. He argued that even elite prospects like Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert would be considered top-four quarterbacks if they played in Green Bay. This perspective raises questions about the true measure of a quarterback’s talent versus the impact of their environment.

Love’s journey to the starting role was no cakewalk. He spent three years warming the bench, watching and learning from one of the game’s greats. When his chance finally came, Love stumbled out of the gate. At one point, he was dead last in completion percentage at 58.7%. But like a true Packer, Love found his groove late in the season, finishing with a sizzling 70.3% completion rate over the final eight games.

To add to the intrigue, the team around him was very young, making his journey particularly remarkable. The 2023 Packers are the fourth-youngest playoff team since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, with an average age of 25.58 calculated using weighted playing time. Over his career, thirty-one of Love’s touchdown passes went to players in their first or second seasons, tied for the second-most touchdowns by a player in those years.

Packers’ management clearly saw something special in him, giving Love a four-year contract extension valued at $220 million. For a quarterback who has played just one full season, this is serious money. In May, on “The Herd,” Tom Brady pointed out that success should be seen through physical talent alone. “Show me the people that are around them and are helping to develop them,” said Brady. He praised Love’s experience with Rodgers, calling it “the best type of training.”

Jordan Love stepping out of Rodgers’ shadow

This mentorship has been significant for Love’s development. “It motivates me to just to be able to see someone play at such high level and do the things he’s able to do on a on a daily basis,” as Love put it in an interview with Aleda Collective. Love’s approach hasn’t gone unobserved. “Jordan’s been such a calm presence. He has complete control of the offense. Everybody looks to him as a leader,” Jon Runyan told ESPN in January.

Love knows that too well. “I see it all the time, people are saying we’ve [Packers fans] been spoiled with really really high-level quarterback play,” he admitted. Yet, he views his role as a “blessing” rather than a burden.

Meanwhile, Cowherd’s “bust” narrative has not been accepted by all. Chris Simms even went as far as saying in June “If Jordan Love played in the Super Bowl (with San Francisco), the 49ers would be the Super Bowl champions.” This is an interesting thought considering how good people think Love can be.

With his sophomore start fast approaching, the pressure is on. Will he prove Cowherd wrong and make it to the top-tier Packer QB? Or will he succumb to the pressure?