Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said he’s had “preliminary discussions” with quarterback Jordan Love on a contract extension, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
Gutekunst is in Orlando for the annual league meeting. Love is expected to get a new deal before the 2024 season.
“We want to do it the right way,” Gutekunst said Monday. “Certainly, the sooner the better, but at the same time, I think we want to make sure we do it the right way. So, we’ve started, but it’s not something that’s gonna go quickly, I don’t think. It’ll take some time.”
There is no rush for either side. Love is under contract for 2024, and the two sides can’t even officially complete a new deal until May at the earliest because Love and the Packers signed a restructured deal in May of last year.
Love is due to make a base salary of $10.5 million and a $500,000 workout bonus in 2024. His new deal will include a massive signing bonus and almost certainly make him one of the NFL’s highest paid quarterbacks.
In his first year as the starter in the post-Aaron Rodgers era, Love started all 17 games, threw 32 touchdown passes and led the Packers to both a playoff appearance and a playoff win. Over the second half of the season, Love was one of the NFL’s best and most productive quarterbacks — which both helped the Packers catch fire and cement himself as the long-term future at the game’s most important position in Green Bay.
Love is still only 25 years old.
Any risk of paying big money to a quarterback with one year of starting experience?
Gutekunst said having Love in the building for four years helps give the Packers confidence in how the player will work and handle adversity.
“The nice thing about having the guy in your building for the last four years, you absolutely know who he is,” Gutekunst said, via Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com.
Brian Gutekunst on the risk of giving Jordan Love a mega extension after one season — albeit one hell of a season — as #Packers starter.
“The nice thing about having a guy in your building four years is you absolutely know who he is.” pic.twitter.com/jdq2tpFJdX
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) March 25, 2024
“Certainly, having four years with him gives us a lot of comfort in what he’s all about and how his teammates look at him and the organization looks at him. That gives me a lot more peace than in a different situation,” Gutekunst said.