Jordan Love called plays for Packers in second half of preseason finale, Matt LaFleur confirms

Green Bay’s preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals carried an extra layer of meaning on offense, with quarterback Jordan Love taking over play-calling duties late in the game. Yahoo Sports reported that Love was in the headset and holding a playcall sheet for long stretches, and that Packers coach Matt LaFleur confirmed after the win that he gave Love an opportunity to call plays in an official capacity during the second half of the comeback.

The setting matters for how Green Bay approaches the preseason as a measuring stick. While many teams use early reps to install basic concepts, the end of the schedule often becomes a chance to test decision-making under game conditions, including who is most comfortable managing adjustments at the line of scrimmage. In that sense, Love’s expanded role is less about a single result and more about indicating how the Packers want their offense to function when tempo, coverage looks, and in-game execution inevitably shift.

According to the report, Love was not merely running checkdowns or reacting to the play, he was actively involved in the communications loop that governs the offense’s pace and play selection. The account describes him wearing the headset and tracking the playcall sheet for extended stretches, then following through on what LaFleur said amounted to an official second-half play-calling assignment.

LaFleur’s confirmation frames the moment as planned rather than improvised. The coach indicated that he provided Love with the responsibility during the second half after the game moved into its later phases. That distinction matters because preseason games can feature informal experimentation, but LaFleur’s comments (as relayed by Yahoo Sports) suggest a deliberate test of quarterback-led control.

Love’s involvement also fits his place within the Packers’ quarterback structure. The report notes that Love is now in his seventh season with the team, which typically comes with increased autonomy, particularly in the final weeks before the regular season. At this stage, the organization’s aim is usually not just to evaluate timing and rhythm, but to see whether the quarterback can manage tempo and situational calls consistently when defenses rotate and personnel packages change.

What to watch next is whether this kind of responsibility shows up again as the Packers finalize their regular-season rhythm. If the team continues to lean into quarterback play-calling or quarterback-driven adjustments, it can influence how quickly the offense settles into predictable scripts early in games, and how much the coaching staff prioritizes faster in-game answers rather than relying on mid-drive corrections.

For now, the biggest takeaway is straightforward: in Green Bay’s comeback win over Arizona in the preseason finale, the quarterback took control of the play-calling for the second half, and the head coach publicly confirmed it afterward. Even without turning it into a storyline about the final score, it offers a clear snapshot of who is expected to steer the offense when Friday nights end and the regular season begins.