With the NFL season advancing on, injuries are front and center for nearly every team. And the Green Bay Packers are no exception. With critical matchups around the horizon, the spotlight is on quarterback Jordan Love. And his health is a crucial yet uncertain factor in their November 3 showdown against the Detroit Lions.

Love hurt his groin during the Week 8 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, exiting the game in the third quarter. While Malik Willis took over quarterback duties and led the Packers to another win with him on the field (he started two games early in the season after Love different a knee injury in Week 1), the concerns about Love’s return started mounting. Will he be suiting up against the Lions? Well, things are looking up.

After sitting out Wednesday, Love returned to practice on Thursday, following which, he was listed as “limited” on Green Bay’s injury report. He attended Friday’s practice as well, and the Packers listed him as “questionable” after that. If we take into consideration the last time Jordan Love missed a game (Week 3), he was “limited” in all practice sessions, so seeing as he’s been bumped up to “questionable” may be a positive sign.

Head coach Matt LaFleur shared his thoughts on Love’s status, too. “He’s moving around better. We’ll take it one day at a time… I know he wants to play, but we’ll see where he’s at by the end of the week.” So, Love is getting those first-team reps and running through drills, even if he’s not going full throttle just yet. Now, here comes the kicker—can he protect himself out there?

LaFleur hit the nail on the head: “Can you protect yourself or not?” They need Love to be more protected. Otherwise, it could be problematic against a fierce Lions squad. He’s got to play smart, not just tough, and he must show he can handle those hits without going down again. That’s where the rest of the squad comes in, considering the injury bug has been taking bites out of the whole team.

Jaire Alexander? Yeah, he’s nursing a knee issue and didn’t practice all week. His absence would be a massive loss, especially with Amon-Ra St. Brown ready to tear it up out there. And Josh Myers? He’s dealing with a wrist injury that’ll have the Packers scrambling if he can’t go. They might need to shuffle the lineup big time—like moving Elgton Jenkins over to center and throwing rookie Jordan Morgan in at guard. A lot of pressure for a first-timer! The offense has got to click. And if they can’t get their offensive line sorted? They’re in for a rough game against Detroit.

Speaking of the Lions, they’re not exactly sitting pretty, either. They’ll be missing defensive end Josh Paschal and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez. That’s some serious defensive muscle out the window. But with Jared Goff balling out lately, it’s still going to be a grind for the Packers’ D. Everyone’s got to step up big time; it’s do-or-die in this intense matchup, no room for slacking.

Jordan Love has his eyes set on a return in Week 9

In an episode of Sunday Night Football, NFL insider Mike Florio shared his two cents on the Jordan Love situation, suggesting that Matt LaFleur should consider benching the quarterback. “Think back to Week 4, the Vikings-Packers game, when it looked like Jordan Love was laboring. It looked like he wasn’t the same guy.” Florio continued, “It looked like the injury was affecting him, and I wondered who within the organization was able to say to him, ‘You shouldn’t be playing.'”

That was right after he sat out two games owing to his knee injury. Another reason Florio may have said Love should sit this one out against the Lions is because the Packers have a bye week after this. So, should they rest Love this week, giving him an extra 7 days to recover, or should they push him to return this week? Well, per Jordan, it should be the latter.

For Love, it’s not just about bouncing back for his own sake; it’s about the squad. “No matter who we are playing, with any injury, I’m trying to get back as soon as I can.” When asked if he could return in Week 9, he said, “It’s realistic. I would definitely try and get back as fast as possible even with the bye being next week.” If he can give it a go, it could seriously amp up the Packers’ offense. They could use all the help they can get, especially with the Lions chomping at the bit.

With Jordan Love battling his way back, the Packers face some serious injury headaches. Coach LaFleur’s got to play it smart while keeping that player safety front and center. With the Lions looming for a divisional clash, the Packers gotta rally and dig deep.