Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love will be the heir-apparent to Aaron Rodgers once the latter finds his trade to the New York Jets finalized this offseason.
A first-round pick of the Packers back in 2020, their brass has spoken glowingly of Love since making that selection. His presence in Green Bay has also helped expedite Rodgers’ departure after 18 brilliant seasons.
With that said, there’s so many unknowns here. A small-school product, Love has started just one regular-season game in three seasons. He’s thrown all of 83 passes during that span with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Does this mean the Packers’ confidence in Love is misdirected? We won’t find out until the 2023 season. What we do know is that Green Bay will likely pick up the fifth-year option on Love’s rookie deal for the 2024 campaign before the deadline later this offseason.
“It’s a given the Packers will want to ensure Love is on their roster beyond 2023, when his contract currently is scheduled to end. Love’s fifth-year option would be worth roughly $20 million,” Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette on Jordan Love contract situation.
Committing $20 million to a quarterback two years down the road after he’s thrown 83 career regular-season passes is a risk. But in reality, it’s something the Green Bay Packers can’t afford to avoid.
They traded up for Love back in 2020 with the expectation that he would eventually replace Rodgers. There’s no better time than now to find out whether he can be that man under center in Green Bay.
Related: 2023 Green Bay Packers mock draft
Green Bay Packers could sign Jordan Love to contract extension
The other option here would be to sign Love to a contract extension as a way to lower hit 2024 cap number.
At issue here is the lack of a preset market relating to quarterbacks who have the lack of experience Love boasts.
A semi-recent example would be the five-year, $137.5 million contract the San Francisco 49ers signed then-quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to back in February of 2018.
Acquired from the New England Patriots months before during the 2017 season, Garoppolo had all of seven career starts under his belt before inking that contract. We’re not sure the Packers are in anywhere near the type of situation as the 49ers were with Garoppolo at that time.
The likelier scenario here is that Green Bay picks up the fifth-year option on Love’s rookie deal. It can then see what he has to offer during what promises to be a transition year for the franchise. Should Love impress, an extension could be in the cards next March.