One of the most criticized moves of the 2020 NFL Draft came when Green Bay traded up four spots in the first round to select Utah State quarterback Jordan Love.
The move came as a surprise not only to Cheeseheads everywhere, but also the NFL at large: Why select the heir apparent to Aaron Rodgers when he and the Packers are still talented enough to make a Super Bowl run?
Yet despite all the opinions, debates and rumors surrounding the pick, one person who was conspicuously silent on the matter was Rodgers himself. Until Friday, when he appeared on CBS Sports HQ to discuss Green Bay's selection.
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"And I think, general reaction at first was surprise, like many people," Rodgers said. "Obviously not going to say that I was thrilled by the pick necessarily, but I understand: The organization is thinking not only about the present, but about the future. And I respect that. I understand ... their focus and their mindset, and obviously they thought that he was such a great talent that they needed to go up and get him."
“General reaction at first was surprise. I’m not gonna say that I was thrilled by the pick.” - Aaron Rodgers on the Packers' selection of Jordan Love pic.twitter.com/QbaDEKaslM
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) May 15, 2020
That's about the best reaction Rodgers could give in the situation, especially considering how eerily it mirrors his own selection in the 2005 NFL Draft. Former Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre was 35 at the time; Rodgers is 36. Love has already spoken with Rodgers as well, saying the Packers great congratulated him on his selection.
That said, it doesn't change the fact many Packers faithful feel the organization has failed to properly support one of the league's all-time talented quarterbacks. The Packers only selected one pass-catcher in the 2020 draft — a tight end — in what has been described as one of the best receiver classes in recent memory. Moreover, Rodgers has only thrown one touchdown to a receiver taken in the first round of the draft.
Only time will tell if the Packers made the right decision to build toward the future, rather than focus on their present.
