Matt LaFleur Throws Packers Star Out of Practice After Jordan Love Gets Knocked Down

Matt LaFleur banished second year LB Barryn Sorrell to the sideline after he bull sacked quarterback Jordan Love in practice.

Matt LaFleur Throws Packers Star Out of Practice After Jordan Love Gets Knocked Down

Barryn Sorrell (Image via Sports Illustrated)

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur did not like Barryn Sorrell’s tackle on quarterback Jordan Love during Sunday’s practice. LaFleur banished Sorrell to the sidelines.

Even though defenders are told to avoid landing rough blows on the quarterback, occasionally they forget about it and charge in as if their lives depended on it. The Packers camp witnessed something similar at Sunday’s practice.

According to Packers beat writer Matt Schneidman, second-year pass rusher Barryn Sorrell was momentarily banned from practice after he “bull-rushed Anthony Belton into Jordan Love,” which knocked the former 26th overall pick down to the ground.

Schneidman did not mention any injuries. But the longtime Packers journalist noted a scuffle between veteran linebacker Zaire Franklin and running back Chris Brooks.

Franklin basically had him pinned to the ground behind the play after Edgerrin Cooper stuffed a Lloyd run.

Schneidman tweeted

Zach Jacobson of Packers Dispatch summed up the altercation in a different tweet.

These incidents happened days after the Packers played their first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both Love and Sorrell played meaningful snaps in the game. However, they suffered a 28-9 defeat after the Steelers’ young quarterbacks threw multiple touchdowns.

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Who is Barryn Sorrell?

Sorrell, 23, is a linebacker for the Packers. He played four seasons of college football with the Texas Longhorns. In 49 games, Sorrell recorded 132 tackles, 25.5 TFLs, 15.5 sacks, and two passes defensed.

Matt LaFleur Throws Packers Star Out of Practice After Jordan Love Gets Knocked Down
Barryn Sorrell played for the Texas Longhorns in college (Image via Sports Illustrated)

The Packers drafted Sorrell 124th overall in the 2025 draft. He appeared in 14 games during his rookie NFL season. He recorded 15 tackles, one TFL, and 1.5 sacks.

The Packers have a relatively deep pass-rushing room. Last year, LaFleur added All-Pro edge Micah Parsons, although he’s currently in rehab. They also have veteran Lukas Van Ness, Brenton Cox Jr., Dani Dennis-Sutton, and Collin Oliver.

Jordan Love could have an unexpected face at backup in 2026

The Packers drafted Jordan Love in 2020, but he had to wait until the 2023 season to earn the QB1 job. Since then, the former Utah State man has won 27 games and played in four playoff matches.

Love is the Packers’ undisputed number one. Now, the question is: who will be his primary backup in 2026? Last season’s QB2, Malik Willis, left in the offseason to star for the Miami Dolphins, prompting LaFleur and GM Brian Gutekunst to make a move for veteran free agent Tyrod Taylor. The Packers also signed former Ohio State and Syracuse signal-caller Kyle McCord from the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad.

Both Taylor and McCord featured against the Steelers last week. And the second-year under center outshined the seasoned veteran despite losing by nineteen points. McCord completed 12 of 16 passes for 102 yards with a 91.1 passer rating compared to Taylor’s 4 of 8 passes for 21 yards and a 56.3 passer rating. LaFleur praised McCord for his performance.

[Kyle] did a really nice job with was just hanging in the pocket. Obviously, he took a hit and delivered the ball to, I think it was Isaiah Neyor on that one. So, I thought he did a lot of good things.

Matt LaFleur said (H/T AtoZ Sports)

Well, this doesn’t guarantee the backup job, but it will certainly help to boost his morale.

McCord was drafted 121st overall in 2025 by the Eagles. He spent the rookie season in Philly before signing a reserve/futures contract with the Packers.

McCord played three seasons of college football for the Buckeyes before transferring to Syracuse for his final year of eligibility. He went 10-3 and led the FBS in pass completion (391), pass attempts (592), passing yards (4779), and threw 34 touchdowns.

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