OTAs are more important for the 2023 Green Bay Packers than they have been in recent seasons. While practices without pads can only tell coaches so much about a player, a young team like the Packers needs as many reps as they can get together to develop chemistry and cohesion.

One duo that has shown strong early signs of chemistry is quarterback Jordan Love and wide receiver Romeo Doubs.

“The rapport that those two guys have shown throughout eight practices now has been pretty solid,” LaFleur told reporters this week at OTAs.

The duo hooked up consistently during two-minute drills and throughout practices. It just seemed that whenever Love needed a key completion, the player he looked to first was Doubs.

This is a critical season for both players. Love is finally getting a chance to be the starting quarterback after learning for three seasons behind Aaron Rodgers. There is a lot of pressure on the former Utah State star but thus far, he has handled it well.

Love also did a good job of dealing with the difficult situation of being the heir apparent and backup to Rodgers while the future Hall of Famer’s disagreements with the team’s front office often played out in the media.

Love has continued to work hard and has shown up to all OTAs. He’s even demonstrated leadership by organizing a passing camp with some of his young receivers (including Doubs) and running back Aaron Jones on his own during the offseason.

This is Love’s fourth season in the NFL but his first as the team’s starter and he knows all eyes will be on him throughout this season.

Doubs is entering his second season in the NFL. The Nevada alum looked very good as a rookie at OTAs and training camp and led the Packers in catches during the preseason.

His work ethic and determination to learn the playbook helped him get off to a fast start in 2022 including a career-best eight catch, 73-yard performance in Week 3 against the Bucs that also saw him score his first career NFL touchdown.  

Unfortunately, injuries slowed Doubs at midseason, and he still wasn’t 100 percent when he returned. He finished his rookie campaign with 42 catches for 425 yards and three touchdown catches in 13 games.

Love and Doubs have been working together since Doubs joined the team a year ago. They really do seem to have a good feel for the way they like to play the game.

Love was quick to praise Doubs when asked about him during OTAs. “When in doubt, you know you can throw it out there and he's going to make a play,” Love responded when asked about Doubs. “He's done a great job of going to get the ball wherever it's at, has made some really tough catches. And it kind of just builds everybody's confidence, builds my confidence in him, just being able to throw the ball out there, and know he's going to make a play.”

The Packers recent history has been full of quarterback/receiver duos who have had an uncanny feel for each other. Brett Favre and Sterling Sharpe were setting records in the early ‘90s until Sharpe’s career was cut short by an unfortunate injury after the 1994 season.

Favre later found chemistry with Antonio Freeman and Donald Driver who had Pro Bowl seasons and made a big impact on the passing game.

Rodgers had an uncanny connection with Jordy Nelson and finally with Davante Adams. The back shoulder throw between Rodgers and Adams was almost impossible to defend because the two of them could change things with a simple nod or a glance and they always knew what the other was going to do.

Obviously, Love and Doubs are just at the beginning of their development as a duo. They have yet to play together in a meaningful NFL game as Doubs wasn’t on the roster when Love made his first NFL start in 2021 and he was injured when Love played the fourth quarter against the Eagles in Week 12.

Still, it has become clear that this duo enjoys working with each other, is developing trust in each other and is off to a strong start.

Every day they work together at OTAs only seems to improve what this duo has when they work together. That is an encouraging early sign for the 2023 Green Bay Packers.