By the end of last season, it became clear the Green Bay Packers felt they had their next answer at quarterback. And with that, they had to pay their quarterback.
Love’s Breakout Performance
- Late-Season Surge: Jordan Love had a breakout in the second half of last season.
- Playoff Success: Love led the Packers to the postseason and a road playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys.
- Hot Streak: He was one of the hottest quarterbacks in the NFL late last season.
Historic Contract Extension
New Deal: On Friday night, Love and the Packers agreed to a four-year, $220 million contract extension, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein.
Highest-Paid QB: The deal will make Love the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history.
Contract Details:
- $55 million per year
- $155 million guaranteed
- $75 million signing bonus
Comparison to Tua Tagovailoa
- Dolphins’ Deal: Hours earlier Friday, Tua Tagovailoa reportedly reached a four-year, $212.4 million extension.
- Love’s Earnings: Love got the contract extension he earned during that late-season streak last fall.
Training Camp Holdout
- OTAs and Camp: Love came to OTAs in good faith but then sat out training camp practices as the extension was finalized.
- Deal Finalized: Now the Packers can see how far Love can take them.
Love’s Journey
- Draft and Wait: The team took Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft despite having Aaron Rodgers.
- Rodgers’ Impact: Rodgers went on to win two MVPs after Love was drafted, and Love waited his turn.
- Trade and Opportunity: Finally, the Packers traded Rodgers and gave Love a shot.
Contract Creativity
- Rookie Deal: Love’s rookie deal was running out, so the Packers had to get creative on his contract.
- One-Year Extension: He got a one-year extension worth up to $22.5 million and $13.5 million guaranteed.
Performance Review
- Struggles and Success: Love struggled through the first seven games of last season, then took off.
- Future Star: Suddenly, he looked like a future star, and the Packers had to figure out his contract situation again.
- Elite Level Play: The extension gets Love in line with the rest of the NFL’s top-end starting quarterbacks.
Risk and Reward
- Limited Starts: There is some risk involved considering Love still has just 18 career regular-season starts.
- Excitement and Potential: The Packers had to be excited about what they saw late last season.
Jordan Love is now the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history, earning $55 million per season after securing a four-year extension with the Packers.
Love’s Stats and Highlights
2023-2024 Season:
- 4,159 yards
- 244.6 yards per game
- 64.2% completion rate
- 32 touchdowns
- 96.1 QB rating
Late-Season Excellence: In the Packers’ final eight regular-season games, he had 16 touchdowns and one interception.
Playoff Performance: Love had a near-perfect 157.2 passer rating in Green Bay’s playoff win over the Cowboys.
Future Expectations
Love still needs to follow up that great half-season, but the Packers obviously aren’t worried. Love played at an elite level for half of a season, and now he’s being paid like an elite quarterback.
More From NFL Widom Imbibe: