Packers’ Jordan Love Outshines Aaron Rodgers, Ties Brett Favre Record

The understudy enjoyed a victory lap over his mentor Sunday night in Pittsburgh.

And not just because Jordan Love outplayed Aaron Rodgers in the primetime matchup between the Packers and Steelers.

Love served three seasons being groomed as Rodgers’ eventual replacement in Green Bay before becoming the starter in 2023.

While Rodgers can deservedly punch his ticket into the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he's ready to hit the rocking chair, there is no question Love is the quarterback all 32 NFL franchises would choose to have on their roster in 2025.

It definitely isn’t Mr. Rodgers, the pride of Chico, California.

No sir, not after Love jogged off the field holding the game ball as Green Bay’s 35-25 victory over Rodgers' Steelers ended.

Love put on a stellar display in front of his ex-teammate on the Sunday night stage by completing 29 of 37 passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns.

At one point, Love completed 20 consecutive passes to tie the franchise record held by — wait, not Rodgers, but Brett Favre.

Favre is the guy that Rodgers pushed out of town.

Then Rodgers eventually became expendable after 18 seasons because of Love’s promise.

The two quarterbacks have maintained a strong relationship since Rodgers’ departure from the land of Cheeseheads.

“It was a special night,” Love said afterward. “We knew it was going to be a hyped up game all week with A-Rod.”

Rodgers completed 24 of 36 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. That’s a solid outing but it wasn’t on the same level as Love’s night.

The 41-year-old Rodgers was playing against the Packers for the first time in his storied career.

He said during the week that it wasn’t a “revenge game.” He also said the matchup would hold more importance if it was being played at famed Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

What he wasn’t expecting was a large number of Packers fans migrating to Pittsburgh.

That “Go Pack Go” chant ringing around the stadium was highly familiar.

"I've heard that chant for 18 years," Rodgers said. "Packer fans travel really well. First time in a while I've used silent count for a home game. That's a credit to those Packer fans."

For all of Rodgers’ success in Green Bay, the Packers reached the Super Bowl just once. That came following the 2010 regular season when the Packers beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.

Green Bay reached the NFC Championship Game four other times under Rodgers and lost every time. Those 475 touchdowns he threw for the Packers are awfully nice, but he went just 1-for-5 in opportunities to reach the Super Bowl.

Love is reaching the stage where he’s going to be expected to lead a deep playoff run.

The Packers lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in last season’s wild-card round and to the eventual Super Bowl-losing San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round the season before.

Love helped the Packers rout the Dallas Cowboys in the wild-card round before the setback against the 49ers.

Green Bay (5-1-1) possesses the best record in the NFC and the second-best in the NFL behind the surprising Indianapolis Colts (7-1), who have running back Jonathan Taylor putting up numbers that former NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson would appreciate.

The Packers have a good back in Josh Jacobs and a force on defense in Micah Parsons, but a Super Bowl drive only happens if Love continues his strong campaign.

Love has completed a career-best 70.9% of his passes for 1,798 yards and 13 touchdowns against just two interceptions in seven games.

That “two” in the interception column is huge. Love tossed 11 in each of his first two seasons as a starter.

His decision-making has improved, his accuracy is stellar and his arm remains top-notch.

Like Favre and Rodgers before him, Love looks like another long-term franchise cornerstone who could start for 15 or so seasons in Green Bay.

And on Sunday night, the whole football world watched him outplay Rodgers. Love was already very good — but this was the night he fully arrived as a big-time star.