Packers extend Jordan Love with record breaking deal

    Written by: William Petersen •

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    Jordan Love

    After riding the bench behind future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers for his first three seasons, Jordan Love faced some questions about his longevity after he struggled in the beginning of his tenure as the man under center for the Green Bay Packers. Love eventually found chemistry in the Packers huddle, which exuded confidence, as the Utah State alum flipped his own script in the final eight games of the 2023/24 regular season, finishing with 18 touchdown passes and only one interception. Love’s efficient end to the regular season secured the Packers with a Wildcard bid, which began to answer the question if Love was going to be the signal caller of the future for the storied franchise. The hot hand continued to stay hot as the Packers rolled into Dallas and shocked the league, beating the Cowboys 48-32 with Love going 16/21 for 272 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a 157.2 rating in an upset that no one saw coming. The Packers would then lose to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round but this magical nine game run only heightened the questions around what the Packers were going to do this off season after opting out of Love’s fifth-year option, which would have cost the Packers $20.72 million, instead signing him for $13.5 million guaranteed with $9 million in incentives for the 2023/24 season. Love smashed the incentives, finishing his second season in the NFL with the second most touchdown passes (32), seventh in passing yards (4,159), and 11th in passer rating at 96.1. Love’s efficient second season forced the hand of the Packers to get a deal done before the end of training camp after Love had been present but not participating until the ink hit the paper.

    Early Friday, Adam Schefter broke the record breaking news that the Packers would be extending Love to a four-year, $220 million dollar extension that includes a record breaking $75 million dollar signing bonus and makes Love tied for the highest paid player in the NFL. The $55 million a year is a daunting number for a player who has only had one full season as a starter but recency bias is not in full effect as many critics believe. Love struggled his first seven games of the season, posting a 2-5 record as well as being turnover prone. Love found his stride at the right time for his team as well as his bank account after making a complete 180 that proved the Packers young receiving core and young quarterback are poised for a bright future in Green Bay after embarrassing the Cowboys in Arlington. While this is a small sample size to most NFL front offices, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst made it apparent to reports that having Love sit for his first three seasons was a major factor in getting this deal done. “Certainly having four years with him, I think that gives us a lot of comfort, and what he’s all about and how his teammates look at him and the organization looks at him.” Having a familiar face in your building for that many years can definitely help build trust that will then hopefully translate to the football field. Like they did with Aaron Rodgers, the decision to give Love time to develop and get familiar with Green Bay has proven to be the right decision as the 25 year old is now one of the three highest paid quarterbacks and players in the NFL. The criticism will be loud and abundant if Love does not continue to improve, but all signs are pointing up as the Packers will continue to put their trust in the young quarterback on the field and in their payroll.

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