Steve Young Thinks There Will Be ‘Creative Tension’ Between Packers QBs Jordan Love, Aaron Rodgers
May 8, 2020, 11:55 AM | Updated: 11:55 am
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Former NFL Super Bowl champion quarterback Steve Young said he thinks there will be what he calls “creative tension” between Green Bay Packers quarterbacks Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers.
Despite leading the Packers to the NFC Championship game in 2019, Green Bay selected Love as Rodgers’ presumable successor during the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft in April.
Young said that he thinks the move to bring Love into the Packers’ QB room will bring out the best in Rodgers.
“The calculation is that it’s gonna bring out the best in Aaron. It’s called creative tension. As long as it’s not toxic tension, which it possibly could be, I think it becomes creative tension. You get the best of Aaron Rodgers.”
.@SteveYoungQB says there will be “creative tension” between @packers QBs Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love. #AggiesAllTheWay #GoPackGo @kslsports
đź“ą: NFL Network pic.twitter.com/3zDYyJHvei
— Kyle Ireland (@kyleireland) May 8, 2020
Prior to winning championship rings, Young sat on the bench as the backup to hall of fame QB Joe Montana. The 49ers paved the way for Young to take over San Francisco’s offense when they traded Montana to Kansas City late in his career. Rodgers is now in a similar situation to that of Montana while earlier in his career, he was placed into a situation that’s similar to the one Love is currently in, when the Packers drafted him late in the first round while NFL legend Brett Favre was still years away from retirement.
Rodgers sat on the sidelines and waited three seasons for the opportunity to take over for Favre as the Packers’ starting QB. Over his 16-year NFL career, Rodgers has gone on to win the league’s MVP award twice and was the MVP of Super Bowl XLV.
The QB is now 36 years old and entering the final phase of his hall of fame career.
“There’s a window for these elite quarterbacks. There’s a window to build a Super Bowl team. You can’t waste a year without [getting] a big receiver you get in the first round — a big tackle and you go out and get my replacement’ So there’s going to be an edge to the whole year for the Packers. You think Aaron Rodgers is moody? You think he’s a little bit tough to deal with? He’s gonna be even more so.”
The former BYU and San Francisco 49ers quarterback said that he believes the Packers drafted Love to send a message to Rodgers and to push him next season.
“Let me be honest with you,” Young continued. “I do believe that Aaron was getting a message and I think that message has been received loud and clear and I think that they’re expecting that the push from Jordan.”
Shortly after April’s draft, Favre said that he believes that Rodgers won’t finish his NFL career with the Packers due to Love.