Jordan Love believes Packers 'don't have to have' a No. 1 wide receiver

Jordan Love‘s first season as Green Bay’s starting quarterback was a rousing success despite him having an inexperienced wide receiver room that lacked a true No. 1 target.

The makeup of Love’s wideouts remains the same entering 2024, and while Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed or Dontayvion Wicks have the opportunity to make strides this upcoming season and perhaps become that prototypical No. 1, the Packers QB doesn’t think it’s all that necessary.

“I think you don’t have to have a No. 1 receiver,” Love said this week, via the team’s official website. “I think it works out well when you can spread the ball out and you got different guys making different plays and you can put ’em in different areas.

I believe not having a definitive No. 1 player actually benefits us in the long run. It puts significant pressure on the defense and limits the calls they can make. Moreover, any of our players can rise to the occasion and be the top performer on any given day.

The figures from the previous year indicate a fair allocation of opportunity. Reed topped the squad for the season with 64 catches, 793 yards, and eight touchdowns. However, Doubs (59/674/8), Watson (28/422/5; nine games), and Wicks (39/581/4) were not significantly behind. Each member of the group had standout performances in individual games, leading the team in receptions at least twice during 2023.

In his successful inaugural season as the leader, Love led the Packers to an unexpected playoff run, finishing in the league’s top 10 for passing yards (4,159), passing touchdowns (32), and completions (372). He also boasted a 96.1 passer rating, further emphasizing his successful debut.

“Any of these players can be positioned anywhere, and they’ll still perform excellently,” Love asserted. “This was somewhat demonstrated last year. We had various injuries among the team causing some players to shift around and play roles they might not have been familiar with. So, I’m certain this is true.”

However, when observing these individuals, each one possesses a unique set of skills and excels in certain areas. The crux is to identify these strengths and position them optimally for success.

Doubs, Reed, Watson and Wicks aren’t the only potential contributors, either. Bo Melton might also find himself in the rotation in 2024 following a late-year emergence during his rookie season, and Malik Heath and Samori Toure round out a talented group procured by general manager Brian Gutekunst.

Matt LaFleur, head coach of the Packers, thinks that having a large pool of receivers is a beneficial issue to encounter.

LaFleur expressed that the rapport being built between the collective unit and Jordan throughout the offseason is of utmost importance. He showed excitement towards attending training camp with the team. LaFleur acknowledged that each player had their moment leading as a receiver in a game, indicating his confidence in the collective unit. Despite the difficulty in ensuring every player gets the desired amount of touches due to their strengths, he views this as a positive challenge.

The Packers were obviously confident in the young WR group after forgoing any additions through free agency or the draft. They instead brought in running back Josh Jacobs, 2022’s rushing champion, who figures to complement Green Bay’s passing attack (and compensate for the loss of RB Aaron Jones). They also used a first-round pick on tackle Jordan Morgan to bolster the offensive line, and added a potential rookie contributor in third-round RB MarShawn Lloyd.

The Packers’ first season without Aaron Rodgers went better than many expected thanks to Love and Co. The 25-year-old QB is now in line to receive a major extension after cementing his status as Green Bay’s future, with or without a No. 1 wide receiver.