Packers quarterback Jordan Love has already gotten plenty of advice under former mentor Aaron Rodgers. One more legend whispering into Love's ear can't hurt.
As Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love gears up for his first season as the franchise's starter, Matt LaFleur and the other team coaches are making sure he's physically ready and all caught up on the playbook.
But what about emotionally? Mentally? How is Love going to learn the grit and grind of the position and step up where so many have fallen?
Love has already studied under Aaron Rodgers' wing for the last three years. On Monday, the Packers thought it might be good for Love to get some external exposure and had him briefly huddle with Broncos legend Peyton Manning.
Manning was spotted at the Packers' training camp session that day, the exact reasons of which remain unclear. Some think he was trying to recruit Love for the upcoming season of his Netflix show; others think he's developing a separate project with LaFleur.
Whatever the reasons were, Manning and Love spent some quality 1-on-1 time during camp. Of the wide breadth of discussion topics, Love reportedly talked with Manning about coaching and communication styles, team chemistry, and how to overcome mental hurdles.
Jordan Love gets critical lesson in resilience from Peyton Manning
Love told ESPN:
"The biggest thing is just keep going, never let your head down… It's not going to be a perfect season every year, and it's finding that capability to bounce back when not everything's perfect. Peyton talked about that. That's his biggest thing, handling adversity."
In Manning's first season in the league, he led the Colts to a 3-13 record and recorded a league-high 28 interceptions. He would achieve his first two Pro Bowl seasons and winning records after that depressing rookie year, and he stands today as living proof of a quarterback who started off on the wrong foot but developed into a bona fide legend by the end of his career.
Just as in any other sport, great quarterbacks aren't great by virtue of their talent and skill alone; it's also about the way they bounce back from tough losses, rise to challenges, and grow to become a confident and trusted leader on their team.
Love going through the motions of a starting quarterback will only get him so far. To have a long-term future at the position, he's going to have to dig as deep as he can this upcoming season and discover what makes him great.
