In Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season, Packers quarterback Jordan Love was injured and exited the game in the final minutes of the matchup. As he is suffering from an MCL sprain, he didn’t participate in Week 2 and Week 3 games as well. But is he now available for the next matchup, which is against the Vikings on Sunday, September 29?

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Jordan Love practiced every day this week but on a limited basis due to injury. However, still he is officially listed as questionable for the divisional game, just like the previous two games. In addition to that, it’s ‘rare‘ for a QB to start after limited practice. Hence, the Packers “are going to give him more time.”

Rapoport further mentioned that Love has been improving, which is encouraging. It’s been three weeks since the injury, a time frame where teams might start considering a return. However, Love hasn’t completed a full practice yet, which raises doubts about his readiness to play. Hence, if he returns, “he [Love] would be a rare player coming back from injury who did so, without having a full practice.”

So, talking about Love’s replacement for now, Rapoport also hints that the Packers might take a cautious approach, especially since Malik Willis has been performing well, and it’s a long season. Hence, while there’s hope Love could play, Green Bay hasn’t taken any firm decision yet. This means, that as Green Bay isn’t sure about Love, they might end up going with Malik Willis once again, who led the team to wins in Week 2 and 3. Furthermore, he “has thrown for 324 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions, as well as also rushed for 114 yards and one score on the ground, showing his dual-threat abilities.”

Meanwhile, as the Packers might prepare without Jordan Love once again, there is another player who might skip playing against the Vikings this time, too.

Jordan Love and Jaire Alexander’s absence will be keenly felt!

As it’s almost certain that Jordan Love might not play in Week 4, Packers CB Jaire Alexander too makes his status uncertain for the Vikings game. This is evident from the fact that the Packers’ top cornerback missed practice on Friday due to a quad injury. So, if he won’t play, it would be the third straight time he hasn’t faced off against star receiver Justin Jefferson. This matchup has always been one of the key highlights when these teams meet, as both players are top performers.

Hence, without Alexander, Green Bay’s secondary could rely on Eric Stokes, Corey Ballentine, and Keisean Nixon. This would clearly benefit the Vikings, especially with Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor leading their passing attack. Jefferson has been on fire this season, catching 14 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns so far.

Alexander has had a strong season too, including two interceptions, one of which was his first career pick-six. Now, his ability to shadow top receivers, like he did against A.J. Brown in Week 1, would be crucial. However, his injury puts the Packers’ defense in a tough spot for this pivotal NFC North matchup.