Packers coach Matt LaFleur expects Jordan Love to get the Thursday preseason reps against Steelers

The Green Bay Packers are planning to play quarterback Jordan Love on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a decision that fits the team’s recent preseason pattern and underscores how the coaching staff wants to manage its quarterback workload before the regular season begins.

Head coach Matt LaFleur said at a Tuesday press conference that he intends to have Love on the field versus Pittsburgh. He also noted he reserves the right to change course, but his comments made clear the intent is to keep the process consistent as the Packers move through camp and into their exhibition games.

According to LaFleur’s remarks reported by Yahoo Sports, Love has played in the preseason opener in each of the last three seasons. The upcoming Thursday game, then, would represent another iteration of a familiar timing approach, one designed to give the quarterback meaningful early reps rather than wait for later exhibitions to start seeing live-game cadence.

LaFleur framed the reasoning around preparation and routine. The reported takeaway was his emphasis on “getting your process down,” a reference to how repetition in game-like situations can help a quarterback and the offense tighten communication, play tempo, and execution details while still operating within the controlled structure of preseason football.

For the Packers, the significance is both football-specific and organizational. The preseason is the only stretch where coaches can evaluate operating sequences with live defensive looks without the week-to-week stakes of the regular season. If Love is on the field early, Green Bay can also calibrate how the rest of the offense functions around him, including how quickly the unit can establish timing and reads across successive drives.

At the same time, LaFleur’s acknowledgement that the plan could change serves as a reminder that preseason decisions are often fluid. Teams may adjust based on how practice runs, how specific matchups appear in the game plan, or how the day’s health and roster usage develops. As Thursday approaches, the Packers’ final quarterback usage will be a key detail for fans trying to translate camp themes into on-field rhythm.

The matchup also carries extra interest because the Steelers typically present a test of physicality and defensive organization, even in the early exhibitions. For Green Bay, watching Love’s first-quarter approach and how the offense responds to Pittsburgh looks will be an early barometer for whether the quarterback’s preparation is syncing with the timing requirements of the regular season.

Going forward, the most important watch item is whether the Packers keep their quarterback timeline consistent after Thursday. If Love’s preseason workload mirrors the past approach LaFleur referenced, the organization is likely trying to create a clear developmental runway for the offense, with each upcoming exhibition functioning as a more targeted step rather than a restart.