Packers QB Jordan Love may have avoided cruciate ligament tear

Good news for Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers: According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, initial tests on Love’s knee have shown that his anterior cruciate ligament is intact. However, further tests will be needed once the team returns to Green Bay to determine the severity of the knee injury.

Love was injured on the third-to-last play of the Packers’ 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday night in Brazil. He appeared to have been hit on the side of his left knee, which triggered the mechanism of injury. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Love has been ruled out an ankle injury, so further tests will be done to determine what is injured in his knee.

An intact anterior cruciate ligament rules out a possible scenario that would have ended Love’s 2024 season.

On-field testing for ACL tears is common. According to Physiopedia, a Lachman test can be performed to test the “integrity” of the ACL and the stability of the knee. The Packers’ medical staff likely knew soon after the injury whether Love’s ACL was severely damaged.

The Packers are flying home from Sao Paulo, a flight of over 10 hours. Once the team lands in Green Bay on Saturday at noon, further diagnostic tests can be performed on Love’s injury.

The Packers, now 0-1 after Friday night’s loss, do not play again until Sunday, Sept. 15, against the Indianapolis Colts. The backup quarterbacks are Malik Willis, acquired in a trade with the Tennessee Titans before the final cuts, and Sean Clifford, a 2023 fifth-round pick who backed up Love last season.