Packers’ Jordan Love will not play against the Colts while recovering from a knee injury

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Jordan Love will not play for Green Bay in Sunday’s home game against the Indianapolis Colts as the quarterback continues to recover from a knee injury suffered in the team’s season opener.

Love is inactive, marking the first time he has missed a game due to injury since taking over as starting quarterback last year. Love had not practiced all week after injuring his left medial collateral ligament on the final drive of the Packers’ 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 6 in Brazil.

Malik Willis will take Love’s place less than three weeks after joining the Packers. In a trade announced Aug. 27, Green Bay acquired Willis from the Tennessee Titans for a 2025 seventh-round draft pick.

Willis, a third-round pick by the Liberty in the 2022 draft, made his only three starts during his rookie season. Tennessee went 1-2 in those games, and Willis didn’t throw for more than 100 yards in any of them.

Sean Clifford will be Willis’ backup. The Packers activated Clifford from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.

Willis will face a Colts secondary that is without safety Julian Blackmon and cornerback JuJu Brents. Blackmon is unavailable due to a shoulder injury. Brents went on injured reserve this week after injuring his knee in a 29-27 loss to the Houston Texans.

The Colts will also be without wide receiver Josh Downs for the second straight game due to an ankle injury. Downs had 68 receptions for 771 yards and two touchdowns last season.

Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is available. Buckner had been listed as questionable because of a back issue.

The Packers also announced Sunday that wide receiver Jayden Reed (shin/calf) and rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) were available. Both were listed as questionable on the injury report the Packers released Friday.

Reed had four receptions for 138 yards against the Eagles and scored on a 70-yard reception and a 33-yard run. He also had a 38-yard touchdown reception nullified by offsetting penalties. Reed was the fifth player since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to score touchdowns on a reception of at least 70 yards and a run of at least 30 yards in the same game.

This will be the NFL debut for Lloyd, a rookie third-round draft pick out of Southern California. Lloyd did not play against the Eagles because of a hamstring issue.

Joining Love on the Packers’ inactive list are safety Kitan Oladapo, defensive lineman Brenton Cox Jr., offensive tackles Andre Dillard and Travis Glover and defensive lineman Colby Wooden.

The Colts’ inactive players are Blackmon, Downs, defensive end Genard Avery, guard Tanor Bortolini, quarterback Sam Ehlinger, offensive tackle Blake Freeland and tight end Will Mallory.

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