Jordan Love set for Packers preseason opener Thursday

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that starting quarterback Jordan Love will take part in the team’s preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday.

LaFleur framed the decision as an extension of how the organization has handled the past three preseasons, using exhibition games to tighten operational details before the regular season begins. He said the coaching staff wants the starters to build mental readiness and lock in game-day routines in a setting that more closely resembles real competition.

LaFleur: Preseason reps support readiness and routines While confirming Love’s participation While confirming Love’s participation, LaFleur did not provide a snap count. He pointed to the fluid nature of preseason roster management, where personnel decisions can shift quickly as coaches balance evaluation needs with preparation goals. LaFleur also said the preseason appearance is designed to help the offense absorb new schemes under live-game conditions. The aim, he indicated, is to move more quickly from controlled training camp work into on-field execution that requires communication, timing, and decision-making against an opponent. Packers’ exhibition slate runs through August 28 Green Bay opens its preseason schedule on the road in Pittsburgh. After that, the Packers are set to play an away game against the Denver Broncos.

Green Bay Packers

The team will wrap up its exhibition schedule on August 28 with a home game against the Arizona Cardinals. LaFleur’s staff is expected to use the three-game stretch not only to sharpen procedures for the starters, but also to create multiple evaluation checkpoints across the roster.

Roster evaluation remains a key preseason objective

Beyond preparing the top of the depth chart, the preseason provides a structured window for assessing depth and tracking player performance in game situations. The Packers’ schedule gives the coaching staff repeated opportunities to see how different combinations function and to compare players competing for roles.

Those assessments feed into decisions ahead of the final roster cut-down deadline, when teams must reduce their rosters to meet league requirements. LaFleur did not outline specific criteria on Tuesday, but he indicated the preseason format allows the staff to move from practice observations to evidence gathered under competitive conditions.

For Green Bay, Love’s appearance in the opener is positioned as part of that broader process: establishing weekly routines for the starting unit while also supporting the larger evaluation work that unfolds across the full preseason schedule.