The last time Jordan Love’s contract situation came up, the Green Bay Packers were unsure if they wanted to commit to the former Utah State quarterback long term.
Last summer, Love had started just one game and the fifth-year option on his rookie deal was looming. So the Packers compromised and, instead of picking up his fifth year, gave him a small extension that kept him on the roster until 2024. It would buy them more time to decide his value.
This summer, though, there is no question Love is the quarterback of their future. And now he will be sitting out of practice until he gets a long-term deal.
“Saturday night they informed us that until we get something done, he would not practice,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “We certainly understand where he is coming from. ... We’d like him to be out there. He is taking part in everything else.”
Love — who was a first-round pick out of USU — cemented his role with a breakout season in 2023. As the full-time starter, he threw for more than 4,000 yards and 32 touchdowns. Green Bay made the playoffs and knocked off Dallas on the road.
Love did not want to go into the final year of his extension without something in place for the future. He would have made just $11 million this year. That is significantly lower than other top quarterbacks. Dak Prescott, who Love beat in the playoffs, is set to make $34 million in 2024.
“The thing I have confidence in is we want the same thing,” Gutekunst said of the negotiations. “We want Jordan here for a long time. Give him that stability for him, and give us some stability for our group. ... I’m optimistic. These are big deals.”
Gutekunst doesn’t have lingering concerns over the small sample size of Love’s productivity before signing him to a longer deal. He said he’s seen enough in Love’s 19 starts last year to feel comfortable making him one of the higher-paid quarterbacks in the league. It is not playing into negotiations, he said.
The GM is hoping a deal will get done in the next few days.
“We are down the road in terms of we know he is our franchise quarterback,” he said. “We are ready to move forward. It’s not like we are trying to make that decision. But at the same time, we want to put the best team around him we can. ... I feel like we’re close, but don’t know timetables.”
Head coach Matt LaFleur said he didn’t know Love would sit out of practice until this weekend. He downplayed how much of an issue it will be as Love prepares for his second season as the starter.
“Hopefully we get something done sooner rather than later,” LaFleur said. “But that is something we will have to adjust to on the fly... You know that could potentially happen [sitting out]. It is what it is.”