LaFleur Limits Jordan Love’s Preseason Game Time and Leans on Joint Practice Work

Overview

• LaFleur said Tuesday that Jordan Love will play a single drive in the Packers’ preseason game at Denver and that most starters will get live reps primarily in the team’s joint practice with Arizona.
• The coach defended the plan by citing data that players with at least 30 preseason snaps are less likely to miss regular-season games, which he says justifies measured in-game exposure.
• Several players who had been limited in camp returned to team drills, including running back Josh Jacobs and edge Lukas Van Ness, and others moved from individual work to full-team reps as the Aug. 30 roster cutdown approaches.
• Cornerback Keisean Nixon publicly complained he felt “punished” over playing time and communication, and LaFleur responded by framing the situation as healthy competition rather than a coaching breakdown.
• The Packers’ approach follows a broader NFL trend of using joint practices and short game appearances to give starters game-like reps while trying to reduce the injury risk that comes with extended preseason snaps.