The Green Bay Packers’ new quarterbacks coach, Sean Mannion, has a tough act to follow by replacing the legendary Tom Clements, but he’s already busy helping Jordan Love fix his biggest issue: footwork.
Love comes from the Aaron Rodgers Quarterback School, and while it never hurts to land a front-row ticket to watch a four-time MVP, mimicking Rodgers’ unique style can lead to some bad habits. It became frustrating to watch Love not set his feet, which led to inaccurate throws, and Mannion plans to fix that.
“What we’re really trying to focus on is just the fundamentals and the footwork,” said Mannion. “That will help you be your most consistent accuracy-wise, decision-making-wise, and timing-wise. That’s our main area of focus with him.”
His words are music to Packers fans’ ears.
The Good, the Bad, and the Footwork
It’s a blessing and a curse. Rodgers’ ability to throw off-platform, even with both feet in the air, led to magical moments. Love, too, has allowed his ridiculous arm strength to do the talking, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but marrying that with more consistent footwork could help his game explode.
Like Love’s MVP mentor, he has shown All-Pro ability through two seasons as a starter. We all remember his jaw-dropping, Toyotahon-fueled stretch to close out the 2023 season.
Love completed over 70% of his passes while tossing 18 touchdowns to one interception during a stunning 6-2 run, and he followed it by dicing up the Dallas Cowboys defense in his playoff debut. We’re talking about an MVP-level stretch.
Love’s Road to Redemption
Jordan Love can reach another stratosphere by improving his footwork, and the Packers’ new QB coach is on it.
Love battled injuries and frustrating mistakes from his wide receivers last season, but he still failed to elevate his game to that same late-2023 stratosphere. Ironing out the inconsistencies with his footwork is the perfect remedy.
The best part? Love is fully on board and admitted he must improve his footwork.
“Consistency. I think it all starts with my feet with me, and just being consistent with my footwork,” Love told ESPN’s NFL Live in February.
“At times, my feet get off and the accuracy goes. Just continuing to focus on those things when getting into the game. It’s easy to do throughout the week, but when you get into the game and your brain shuts off, just to be able to go back on all those coaching points I worked on throughout the offseason.”
A Fresh Perspective
Love also said he must use his legs to rush more frequently, an underrated skill in his arsenal that can punish defenses that get a little too man-heavy. It’s hard to imagine the injuries didn’t limit that area of his game last season.
A Love-Mannion connection comes at a good time. They have both learned from Clements’ experienced leadership, but Mannion offers a slightly different perspective.
He is a recently retired NFL quarterback and spent time playing in a Sean McVay-Matt LaFleur offense with the Los Angeles Rams. That will help him communicate more effectively with Love.
Mannion received praise for his work as a backup quarterback and his ability to help the starter. He can bring that perspective into his coaching, and it’s hardly surprising that multiple teams were interested in hiring him.
A Clear Focus for the Future
His number one task is to help Love reach the next level. It begins with footwork, and if the third-year starter can ace that part of his game, look out.
With Mannion’s experience and expertise, there’s hope that Love can become more consistent, more accurate, and more efficient in 2025. The Packers’ offense is counting on it.
