Packers’ Jordan Love practices for first time since injuring knee; QB status for Week 3 uncertain

Jordan Love’s recovery from an MCL sprain is going well. The Green Bay Packers quarterback practiced for the first time Wednesday since suffering the injury during Green Bay’s season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

As you can see below, Love participated in team warmups before throwing passes to his teammates during individual drills. Love’s official practice participation was reported as limited.

“Definitely feeling a lot better,” Love told USA Today after practice Wednesday. “Just taking it day by day.”

Love described the injury as “definitely painful” and said that when it initially happened, there were “a lot of emotions.” He also called it a “pretty scary moment” because he wasn’t sure how serious the injury was. Love said that he was able to walk and put weight on that knee shortly after the injury, which was definitely a good sign of his recovery.

Love was not medically approved to play in Green Bay’s home opener against the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday. With Love in the spotlight, backup Malik Willis went 12 of 14, including a touchdown pass, in Green Bay’s 16-10 win. Willis was helped by a Packers rushing attack that held the Colts to 261 yards on 53 carries.

There was love Initially it was expected Willis is expected to be out Weeks 2-6, so his participation in practice on Wednesday indicates his return could come before that aforementioned timetable. Green Bay (1-1) will travel to face Tennessee (0-2) — Willis’ former team — before hosting NFC North division rival Minnesota (1-1) in Week 4. Green Bay will head to the West Coast to face the Rams (0-2) in Week 5, then return home to host Arizona (1-1) and Houston (2-0) in consecutive weeks.

Love continues to progress, but Willis is ready to face his former team on Sunday if he’s asked to do so. Willis was unceremoniously traded to the Packers this offseason after spending two seasons in Nashville.

“When I got traded, I was a little emotional,” Willis said recently about the situation. “I didn’t know how to feel. But with the season coming up, I just had to get it over with. We can worry about it later, and just understand that this season waits for no one. … This is a results-based business. That’s it. I continued to work until I got another opportunity and it just so happened to come (last) week.”