Packers are assured Jordan Love is definitely worth the main contract extension

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Joe Fortenbaugh guidelines out Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love profitable a playoff recreation this season with the Dolphins and Packers respectively.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Anybody who thinks the Green Bay Packers acted too quickly once they gave Jordan Love the large contract extension that was agreed to on Friday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, wants a historical past lesson.

Return within the archives or Google this: What number of video games did Aaron Rodgers begin earlier than the Packers signed him to a contract extension?

Merely seven.

The Packers tore up Rodgers’ 2005 rookie deal and on Oct. 31, 2008, they agreed on a five-year extension price $65 million. It included $40.5 million within the first three years of the deal. Whereas that will appear to pale compared to Love — who will make greater than that within the first 12 months as a part of a four-year, $220 million contract that makes him tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ Trevor Lawrence and Cincinnati Bengals‘ Joe Burrow because the highest-paid QBs in NFL historical past — Rodgers’ deal did rank within the high 5 on the quarterback pay scale.

To that time, Rodgers had led the Packers to a 4-3 begin whereas throwing 12 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He had a passer ranking of 98.8, even whereas taking part in the earlier three video games with a shoulder harm.

Ted Thompson, the late common supervisor who determined that was sufficient to go on to pay Rodgers, defined it by saying: “We attempt to be proactive in our discussions with our present gamers, and we felt like this was an acceptable time to attempt to come to an settlement with Aaron. We really feel like that is good for the group and the gamers, and we’ll proceed this strategy as we transfer ahead.”

Present Packers GM Brian Gutekunst, who was an space scout for the Packers on the time, little doubt filed that away for future consideration. In spite of everything, he replicated what Thompson did in selecting Rodgers (regardless that Brett Favre was nonetheless taking part in at a excessive degree) when he picked Love within the first spherical of the 2020 draft (regardless that Rodgers was nonetheless taking part in at a excessive degree).

Like Love, Rodgers spent three years as a backup and was nonetheless on his rookie contract when he grew to become the starter. That was earlier than first-round choose contracts had a fifth-year possibility, so Rodgers was on a straight five-year deal, that means he was beneath contract by means of 2009.

Final Might, Gutekunst had the choice to select up the fifth 12 months on Love’s rookie deal. That might have assured Love $20.272 million for the 2024 season. As an alternative, the 2 sides agreed to a one-year extension. That deal gave Love extra upfront cash, receiving an $8.788 million signing bonus straight away. It additionally made it simpler for the Packers to maneuver on after 2023 in the event that they felt Love wasn’t their man.

That was nonetheless in query when the calendar turned to November. At that time, the Packers had been 2-5, and when Gutekunst held his annual in-season session with reporters, he requested whether or not he would wish a couple of season to judge whether or not Love was the long-term reply. He mentioned he hoped not however made it clear how important the rest of the season could be to that analysis.

All Love did was throw 18 touchdowns towards one interception over the ultimate eight video games and lead the Packers to a playoff berth. From there, he put collectively a stellar efficiency within the wild-card recreation on the Dallas Cowboys earlier than the Packers’ season ended with a divisional spherical loss on the San Francisco 49ers.

In that regard, he was a step forward of Rodgers, who did not seem in a playoff recreation till his second season because the starter. The 12 months after that, he led the Packers to the Tremendous Bowl.

“The great factor about having a man in your constructing for the final 4 years is you completely know who he’s,” Gutekunst mentioned. “There isn’t any ensures about something going ahead. However we all know how he’ll reply and the way he’ll react and the way he’ll work, as a substitute of signing a participant that has not been in your constructing and guaranteeing all that to him.

“Definitely having 4 years with him, I feel provides us lots of consolation, and what he is all about and the way his teammates take a look at him and the group seems to be at him.”

A lot has modified for the Packers since this time final 12 months, once they might solely hope that Love would pan out. Now they’re set as much as construct round him for years to come back.

“A 12 months in the past, clearly, going into OTAs and going into the offseason, there was lots of questioning on what he can do,” Packers receiver Romeo Doubs mentioned. “Simply so far as his poise and management all through the course of [last] 12 months, I believed he is finished a unbelievable job simply having the ability to preserve himself at a reasonably impartial degree so far as not being so excessive and low. Future’s excessive for Jordan. I am glad I get to be part of this journey with him. I am solely wanting ahead to progress and progress.”