Jordan Love is taking a brief break from Packers practice to address an unexpected thumb injury.
The quarterback will undergo a procedure on his left thumb and is expected to return to practice next week, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters Tuesday. Gutekunst added that Love isn't expected to miss any regular-season time.
Love is scheduled to have surgery Tuesday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Per Gutekunst, Love sustained the injury -- which the GM described as "a ligament thing" -- when he attempted to escape the pocket and his left hand made contact with the side of defensive tackle Jay Tufele's helmet on a third-down play that ended in a sack midway through the first quarter of the Packers' preseason opener against the Jets on Saturday. It was Love's final play of the game.
"Yeah, that last play where he split two guys," Gutekunst said. "I think a helmet just got it."
The good news is the injury affected his non-throwing hand. While it might affect his ability to handle a snap under center when he returns, Love seems to have avoided a potentially nagging issue that could have persisted throughout the season.
Gutekunst didn't express much concern regarding Love's outlook, stating the Packers will "get him back in plenty of time, and I don't foresee this affecting him long term at all." Coach Matt LaFleur echoed Gutekunst's sentiment, telling reporters he anticipates a "relatively quick recovery."
"He's had a good camp so far. Obviously, I think as he gets back, we'll kind of assess where he's at," Gutekunst said. "It's one of those things where I think he'll be back at practice next week. How much he can do leading into that Seattle game, we'll kind of see. He'll be day to day a little bit.
"You never want any of these guys to be out because you want to be working as a team. They all need the work obviously. More importantly, he'll be ready for Week 1, and that's the most important thing."
In the meantime, backup Malik Willis will lead the group of quarterbacks that includes former Penn State standout Sean Clifford and Canadian university product Taylor Elgersma.
