Cory’s Corner: Pressure Is On Brian Gutekunst

There are plenty of people that love to nitpick. 

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has been in charge of five Packers drafts and for every J’Mon Moore there’s a Zach Tom. Gutekusnt has also done a remarkable job of bolstering the roster through free agency by adding key additions like Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith. 

But Gutekunst’s legacy will ultimately come down to one guy. It’s the guy that the Packers traded the 30th and 136th overall picks to get the 26th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. 

Yes, it’s none other than Jordan Love. Gutekunst rolled the dice on a guy that was widely unproven at a smaller college — with a future first ballot Hall of Famer still on the roster. 

And that’s why Gutekunst’s legacy is on the line. He had to know that Aaron Rodgers wasn’t going to like the Packers picking a quarterback first. And it wasn’t just the fact that the Packers took Love in the first round, it’s that they traded up for him. 

That’s the part that I questioned on that night of April 23, 2020. It’s fine that the Packers had an interest in Love. I liked his athleticism and he looked like an interesting project. But do you draft a player in the first round to be a project? 

“The way the board fell, this was the best decision for the Packers,” Gutekunst said in 2020. “I think obviously Aaron’s been around for a long time, and he knows what we’re playing for right now, and that’s what’s most important right now.”

The board actually fell pretty good for the Packers. Linebacker Patrick Queen and receiver Tee Higgins were both still there. Green Bay could’ve had Higgins without moving up for him — and he’s a No. 1 wideout on at least 20 teams in the NFL. 

The problem is that we don’t know anything about Love. He has been in the NFL three seasons and we barely know if he can play. Obviously, Gutekunst wasn’t sold on Love or else he wouldn’t have given Rodgers a three-year $150 million contract extension on March 14, 2022. Over $100 million of that deal is guaranteed.

Now if the Packers had designs on making sure Love got ample playing time, giving Rodgers all that dough wouldn’t have been a sound business decision. 

And even if it’s more of a legacy contract, which is a payment for superb play that includes a 147-75-1 regular season record, a 12-10 postseason record, a Super Bowl title and four MVPs, it will ultimately hurt the Packers when No. 12 is no longer under center. 

So Jordan Love is Gutekunst’s fork in the road. Even if Love doesn’t play a snap in Green Bay, Gutekunst will be judged on lost assets, because I don’t see the Packers getting a No. 26 pick back in a trade. 

But then again, this is what Gutekunst said when he was introduced. Remember what everyone screamed for? We wanted bold. We wanted different. That’s exactly what the Love pick was.

It wasn’t safe. 

Unfortunately, if Love doesn’t work out, Gutekunst’s job won’t be safe either.