Jordan Love’s “hold-in” leaves the Packers wondering… do they pay him?
ONE YEAR AGO JORDAN LOVE was set to take the reins as the heir apparent to one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. While skeptics and frenzy started to set in throughout the organization and its fanbase– Love, and his camp kept their cool.
When halfway through the season, the Packers looked to be in dire straits and calls for Love to be benched amplified, Love and his camp kept cool, quietly orchestrating a run to the playoffs that culminated into becoming the first No. 7 seed to win a playoff game in NFL history and giving the eventual NFC champion 49ers a run for their money before collapsing in the waning minutes of the game.
Now, with around a month left to go until the beginning of the season, Love and his camp are about to strong-arm the Green Bay Packers into making him the highest-paid player of all time. It seemed like the contract extension was about to go under the radar– both sides avoided speaking about it publicly, the Packers restructured Love’s deal last season, declining his fifth-year option and instead opting to sign him to a one-year extension.
Banking on the unknown, the Packers have always been somewhat risk-adverse when it comes to big moves. After all, the team that rarely signs any free agents and had adopted a draft and develop ethos is unlikely to make big splashes. But this year is different. The Packers have leaned into the persona of a Super Bowl team. Radical changes within the coaching staff– of a playoff team on the defensive side showed the first virtue of change, then the signing of Xavier McKinney and the Aaron Jones-Josh Jacobs swap showed that this Packers season was the season of change.
One thing looming over everyone’s head was the inexplicable distance Jordan Love and the team had when it came to a contract extension. For months, the issue was swept underneath the rug. Citing fundamental differences on the terms of the deal– it was clear that Love wanted a mega contract. After all, why not? Other quarterbacks have shown less over more time and were bankrolled millions. Trevor Lawrence just inked to become tied for the highest paid quarterback in average annual value. For a brief period of time, Daniel Jones was the top dog in the bank account department.
As quarterback values keep going up, it makes sense sooner than later for the Packers to make a move to make Love the highest paid QB. It’s damage control for an issue that was circumstantially inevitable but the consequence of a non-risky mindset by the organization’s front office staff. For years, the team didn’t know what they had in Love and in the final year of his base contract, he pops off like no other– the chickens had come home to roost.
Love’s performance has been nothing short of incredible. The position is one of streaks and development, and Love ended the season on an absolute tear. Post-Week 9, Jordan Love ranked fourth in passer rating– 108.2, seventh in yards per game with 266.7, and first in EPA according to Sports Information Solutions. Love developed like no other quarterback seen in the past decade within a single season– the fourth-year player led Green Bay to a 7-3 record down that stretch transforming a lost season into one.
But the question still remains, do you pay a quarterback that has only shown one good season– arguably half, to be the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL? Well, that’s a risky move and expect Green Bay to hedge their bets.
Whether that means backloading the contract or offering pay in the form of incentives is yet to be discussed and made public. It does seem however, that the Packers are willing to pay Love the average annual value that he’s looking for.
“From what I was told, this is more just about the structure of the deal,” NFL insider and The Athletic writer Diana Russini said. “Not so much the number that we’re discussing now, which I think it’s pretty safe to say that they’re going to pay him what the market dictates, which we know right now is above $55 million.”
LOVE HASN’T SHOWN THAT HE CAN DO THIS consistently season over season yet, but the Packers have done their research extrapolating. They’ve poured years of practice and development into Love, namely behind the highest paid quarterback at the time in Aaron Rodgers. They’ve invested so much more than cash– in actuality, they’re willing to back him as long as he shows continuous development like he has.
“We completely understand where he’s coming from,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said.
After years of contract drama with Aaron Rodgers, the Packers were quick to pounce on the situation once it reared its head to prevent any more fall out. What’s also relevant is that unlike Rodgers, Love will still attend all practices and meetings– just not truly participate in activities. Jordan Love has shown his commitment to this team, by finding a middle ground between standing his line and being with his teammates– a hold-in, if you will.
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“I don’t think it’s going to take super long,” second-string quarterback Sean Clifford said. “It’s just what he’s got to do now. But again, it speaks volumes — he’s not in California, he’s here. I got in here at 7. His bag was already in here. He’s in early, he’s staying late. He’s doing all the little things so it’s no worry from the players that’s for sure.”
“Yeah, I think so, but again, you never know,” Gutekunst said regarding whether or not the two sides were close to a deal. “We’re working really hard to get that done. At the same time, the thing I have confidence in is we both want the same thing.”
In 2023, Jordan Love put up bigwig quarterback numbers, passing for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions. Good for a 64.25% completion rating and a passer rating amongst the best of them at 96.1. Love’s resume speaks for itself, it’s simply the sample size that is throwing the entire scenario into limbo.
Jordan Love has stood out as a player that’s no longer expendable but a keystone of a Packers offense that relies on him. The wheel with all the cogs to keep the machine running. Since Week 9, Love has ranked second in wins above replacement behind Dak Prescott at 2.4 and third in boom percentage– the percentage of plays that end in an EPA of one, a good play for the offense. Love also ranked third in percent of positive plays, with 49.9% having a positive EPA– proving his ability as a catalyst to move the ball down the field.
Love’s young aura and chemistry with a fledgling receiver core added to the efficiency of the Packers’ offense as they progressed throughout the season. He worked in tandem with his receivers, not above them– a mistake we see so often with rookie and first year quarterbacks. If the $55 million in AAV Love is asking for alone doesn’t make sense, the chemistry by itself might be worth half that. The charisma and locker room talent to turn a group of first and second-year receivers into a playoff team is seldom heard of in the NFL, much less on a team that got rid of their franchise quarterback the offseason prior. But Jordan Love did exactly that.
“I know how he prepares,” head coach Matt LaFleur said. “So, I’m not overly concerned about that.”
With the deal seeming imminent and the quarterback market ever-exploding– Love seems set to get paid and the Packers avoid another dilemma.
