When Jordan Love Was Concussed, Packers Offered Troubling Response

Let’s roll the clock back to September 2015. The Green Bay Packers are hosting the Seattle Seahawks in a rematch of one the worst losses in franchise history.

It was a hotly contested, one-score game in the fourth quarter when emotions boiled over and a skirmish broke out. Seattle linebacker K.J. Wright grabbed Packers tight end Richard Rodgers by the facemask and pushed his head into the Lambeau Field turf.

Wright was ejected, in which case the officials did their job. The Packers had someone else who took matters into his own hands, as well. Guard T.J. Lang got involved in the skirmish and was tagged with a 15-yard penalty.

Lang would be fined $8,681 from the NFL for his role in the incident. Lang would then channel his inner “Bash Brothers” from The Mighty Ducks by essentially saying it was well worth it.

“They said I unnecessarily dove into the pile,” Lang said. “Well, I think it was pretty necessary. We'll see what they say.”

Coach Mike McCarthy also said it was worth it. Not only was the flag and fine worth it, that’s what Lang and the rest of the Packers were coached to do in a situation like that one.

“T.J. Lang did exactly what he was coached to do,” McCarthy said. “It was to protect his teammate, go in there. We teach our guys, we call it viper up, block the other guy up and try and put the altercation to rest. But, obviously, their linebacker was totally out of hand and was thrown out of the game for it. So T.J. Lang did exactly what he was taught to do."

Six years later, McCarthy would see a similar situation play out during his tenure in Dallas, when Dak Prescott was hit late by Washington defensive end William Bradley-King. Offensive lineman La’el Collins took exception to the hit, defended Prescott and was subsequently ejected for throwing a punch.

McCarthy would say after the fact he would not condone the specific action of throwing a punch, but that Collins was doing exactly what he was supposed to do in that situation by standing up for his quarterback.

Fast forward to 2023, when the Packers were playing a preseason game against the New England Patriots. When quarterback Jordan Love took a hit while sliding to the turf, offensive linemen Zach Tom and Jon Runyan Jr. took exception to the hit and a scrum broke out.

“For me to feel that those guys have my back, it's awesome,” Love said after the game. “I feel that already, but to see it, you love to see that, and I appreciate those guys stepping in and having my back right there. I think it does build some community, camaraderie.”

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) walks to the locker room after suffering a concussion against the Bears. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

That community and camaraderie, as Love put it at the time, has been noticeably missing the last two weeks.

Last week against the Denver Broncos, Love was knocked down by safety Talanoa Hufanga on the Green Bay sideline. The play itself was benign, but what happened next would earn a fine from the league office.

Hufanga put both hands on Love’s helmet and shoved his head into the turf as leverage to run back to his huddle.

Nothing happened from there. No skirmish. No shoving matches. Nothing of the sort.

That was a noticeable shift from how teams are typically coached when one of their own is hit after the whistle, especially the quarterback.

The play by Hufanga could have been thrown away as a one-off, but something similar happened six days later against the Chicago Bears.

On Saturday night, defensive lineman Austin Booker came around the edge and lowered the crown of his helmet into Love’s facemask. Again, the play was flagged for a personal foul, but no action was taken by the Packers’ offensive line as Love laid on the turf with a concussion.

Debate can be had about whether Love ducked his head into the play and if Booker’s intent was to launch the crown of his helmet directly into Love’s head.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) is examined by trainers after suffering a concussion against the Bears. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Is that a dirty play simply by today’s standards, and is the league just protecting quarterbacks? There are conversations to be had surrounding that talking point, as well.

The reality is, a flag was thrown, and the quarterback was laying on his back. It was the second roughing penalty of the game on Billings, but no recourse taken on the field from the big guys that surround Love.

Once the game ended, the Packers’ offensive line had plenty to say about the play, and what they said was taunting that followed from Booker.

“I just don’t know guys get kicked out of games for taunting, but if you hit a quarterback late in the head, you know what I’m saying?” guard Aaron Banks said. “That should get the same treatment for something as simple as taunting. I think that has to be re-evaluated. I think that’s ridiculous.”

Late last week, coach Matt LaFleur said his team needed to clean up the personal-foul penalties, which they received three of a week earlier against the Broncos. Perhaps there was an emphasis on that going into a rivalry game against the Bears.

“The unsportsmanlike really bothered me,” LaFleur said last week. “I take those ones personal. Football is a game of emotion, but you can’t allow the emotion of the game to put you in a spot where you go out and do something that costs the team.”

LaFleur is right, to a point. There’s a time for measured reaction and composure. That’s one of the biggest components of playing football at the highest level.

In some cases, however, there’s a time for the attitude Lang once had when his teammate was being wronged by another man in an opposing jersey.

Call me old school. Call me outdated, but if an additional shove after watching a defender dribble the quarterback’s head off the turf draws a 15-yard flag, so be it.

LaFleur takes those types of penalties personal, but the players on the field need to take it personal when it comes to protecting one of their own.

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