Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love sent social media into a frenzy on Monday morning with a cheeky Instagram post leaning into the trending “Carspiracy Theory” that connects his elevated play late in the season to the annual Toyotathon sales event. Sporting a festive sweater promoting the year-end promotion by the Packers’ official vehicle sponsor, Toyota, Love seemed to playfully acknowledge the uncanny correlation that’s taken the NFL world by storm in recent weeks.
The #CarspiracyTheory Phenomenon
The buzz began back in September when a sharp-eyed fan on TikTok pointed out that Love’s performance has tended to hit another gear right around the start of Toyotathon in mid-November each of the past few seasons. As the 2024 edition of the big sale rolled around, Love once again caught fire, adding more fuel to the “carspiracy” flames.
Love’s Toyotathon Tear By The Numbers
Since November 17th, the date of the Packers’ first game after Toyotathon 2024 kicked off, the young signal-caller has put up some head-turning numbers:
- 8 passing touchdowns to just 1 interception
- 4-1 record as a starter
- 110.5 passer rating
Those stats are a far cry from the inconsistency that plagued Love earlier in the season and have the Packers right in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt. Naturally, NFL fans and pundits haven’t been able to resist drawing a connection to the Toyota promotion, sparking all manner of conspiracy theories on social media.
Love Leans In With Lighthearted Endorsement
Rather than shying away from the silly speculation, Love seems to be having fun with it. Monday’s Instagram post features him in a cozy Toyotathon sweater, sipping a festive beverage in front of a showroom backdrop with the caption “Stay tuned…👀🏈🚗 #CarspiracyTheory #OnceYouKnowYouKnow #LFG.”
While Love hasn’t explicitly confirmed an official Toyotathon partnership, the timing of the post right before the Packers’ crucial Week 16 Monday Night Football matchup against the Saints suggests the “carspiracy” buzz is, at minimum, a welcome coincidence for the ascending young quarterback. His comfort level leaning into the joke also says a lot about his growing confidence down the stretch.
Jordan is playing the best ball of his career right now and having a lot of fun with it. If fans want to point to Toyotathon as his secret weapon, he’s more than happy to play along.
– Matt LaFleur, Packers head coach
Conspiracy or Confidence-Booster?
Ultimately, while it’s all in good fun, there may be a kernel of truth to the #CarspiracyTheory phenomenon. Even if there’s no direct Toyotathon tie-in, the lightness and levity around Love’s late-season surges could be a real confidence-booster that helps fuel his elevated play. When an athlete is loose, locked in, and feeling himself, good things tend to happen on the field.
Whether it’s an actual Toyotathon bump, a well-timed social media meta-joke, or just a young quarterback coming into his own at the right time, the Jordan Love rollercoaster has been a fascinating subplot to monitor in the NFC playoff race. If the Packers find a way to sneak into the postseason, expect #CarspiracyTheory to reach a fever pitch.
