Giving Jordan Love a contract extension is what the Packers desperately need.
He is one of the hottest quarterbacks entering the NFL this upcoming season after turning heads in his very first season as a starter. He even won a playoff game.
In his final eight regular season games, Love went 6-2 by completing over 70 percent of his passes for 2,150 yards, 18 touchdowns and only one pick. Those aren’t just sparkly stats, but he proved that he could win games by himself.
That’s something that is usually reserved for proven veterans. But that was the anomaly. Last year was Love’s fourth NFL season. He has been absorbing NFL plays, situations and people for three years. He likely wasn’t ready to roll directly out of Utah State, but after developing in the Packers Quarterback Greenhouse, he is on the doorstep of being a top 10 NFL quarterback.
But from Love’s point-of-view, he wants to wait. He has a valid argument to make more than Kirk Cousins. The 35-year-old will make an average of $45 million in 2024, good for ninth among quarterbacks in the league. Love, on the other hand, is 25 and has his entire career in front of him with a loaded roster and an innovative offensively-minded head coach.
He could wait until training camp and see if another team gives an over-the-top offer. The first team you need to think of here is the Cowboys. Owner Jerry Jones is downright desperate for another championship, which is why he signed Ezekiel Elliott to a six-year, $90 million deal in 2019. Dak Prescott is scheduled to make an average of $40 million in 2024 and could very well argue for something close to an average of $60 million. He could even wait out the entire season and then be franchise tagged in 2025 — which is obviously something the Packers want to avoid.
And if Prescott makes that kind of money, what can Love get for winning a road playoff game and outperforming Aaron Rodgers in the future Hall of Famer’s first season as a starter. Love had a better completion percentage (64.2 to 63.6), touchdowns (32 to 28), interceptions (11 to 13) and a better passer rating (96.1 to 93.8).
I’m not saying that Love is an automatic Hall of Famer, but he is an elite quarterback because of his multiple arm angles and ability to get out of trouble.
That’s why the Packers need to sign him to an extension soon, but if Love should be perfectly content to wait.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on “Clubhouse Live” and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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