With the Trevor Lawrence deal in place, the likes of Dak Prescott, Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love have another benchmark to use in their own negotiations. The latter could be in line to benefit from Jacksonville’s investment despite his limited resume. 
The Jaguars inked Lawrence to a five-year, $275MM extension; that term and overall value matches Joe Burrow‘s market-topping deal signed last offseason. Lawrence has had an up-and-down tenure through three years in the league, and the fact he was nevertheless able to land a massive commitment bodes well for ascending signal-callers like Love. After one year as the Packers’ starter, he is in line for a long-term deal of his own.
Both team and player in Love’s case are hoping to work out an agreement before training camp opens next month. One year remains on the band-aid deal the 2020 first-rounder signed last offseason to replace his fifth-year option. He is due $11MM in 2024, but a new accord will be far more lucrative. During an appearance on ESPN Milwaukee Radio, Adam Schefter said he does not anticipate Love will take a deal worth less than Lawrence’s.
Six quarterbacks currently average more than $50MM on their contracts, and indications from last month pointed to Love joining that group despite his inexperience and underwhelming production to start the 2023 season. Improvement in the second half of the campaign helped the 25-year-old lead Green Bay to the divisional round of the postseason and demonstrate an ability to succeed with the team’s young (and cost-controlled) group of pass-catchers. One of the NFL’s most lucrative contracts could soon be coming his way as a result.
Lawrence’s Jags extension includes $200MM in total guarantees and $142MM locked in at signing. The commitments (in terms of up front compensation) go deep into the pact, and it could represent a blueprint for similar agreements this summer. Green Bay has made it clear Love is positioned to serve as the team’s next franchise passer like Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers before him, but the surging QB market could complicate negotiations if the Packers are not willing to surpass the $55MM AAV mark.
Of course, extensions for the likes of Prescott and Tagovailoa could provide further clarity on where the market is headed. In any event, Love’s bargaining power has been strengthened by the Lawrence deal, and it will be interesting to see if he tries to reach the top of the quarterback pecking order as talks with the Packers continue.
50m a year for a middle of the pack QB…. NFL is broken.
He looked a lot better than middle of the pack last year.
Feels like it’s been days since this debate last took place.
Kinda curious how many of the people throwing shade at Love also believe Caleb Williams is a potential mvp and will lead the Bears to the SB as a rookie…
Not really in the first half of the season, GB offense wasn’t very good. They really improved over the second half.
It makes sense that a first time starter and the youngest offense in football by leaps and bounds would improve over the course of the season. He played like an MVP candidate the last ten games of the season. Curious to see how he and those baby receivers and tight ends grow this year.
True, but do you base $50M annually on a good 2nd half of one season? I like the Josh Jacobs pickup at RB, he can get tough yards on 3rd down to keep drives alive. Defenses will have to account for him on the field.
Hope your referring to Prescott, because he IS a middle of the pack QB.
Love warrants much, much more than Prescott.
I think that Love was impressive down the stretch, but that’s just not true. I have no love or hatred of the Cowboys, but Prescott is, like it or not, one of the most proven QBs in the NFL today. He’s been at the top, or near it, in several categories over the years, including QB rating by advanced metric, overall offense, and several passing efficiency stats. He’s had his downs, as any player has, but let’s take a step back and actually analyze that idea. Half a year of quality play from a first year starter certainly is less to gamble on than a multi-year career from a quarterback who has led many successful teams.
People can bring the lack of playoff success-which is a function of the team as a whole-but there is much more on paper for Prescott as an individual player, and the majority of it is good. It’s certainly not “middle of the pack”. Perhaps one day Love will ascend to those heights, but as of now, he’s a one year starter who grew exponentially down the stretch and has some potential as a result. Love has yet to establish an identity, let alone a clear value. The Packers are gambling here, either for him or against him. We’ll have to see if they’re right., whatever they choose.
In my opinion, I’d be quite uncomfortable handing Live $50 million or so a year, but Green Bay should-has to, rather-prioritize keeping him. They’ve invested a lot already, and unlike Rodgers when Love was selected, are building around him to provide him support. The whole team is constructed on offense to jive together, and there’s no guarantee that Green Bay will find someone as committed, studious, and with as much promise as Love has right now. They’ll try for a shorter deal, in all likelihood, but I don’t think that Love wants another “prove it” scenario. Ending the first one with an emphatic win over (ironically) a successful Cowboys team only added credence to Love’s argument.
AK-thats the issue I don’t think people seem to grasp. While GB very well may be trying to get a short-term contract done, I don’t see any way Love, or more likely, his agent, will consider it. Besides the money/years being thrown at every QB with a pulse, every athlete wants as much financial security as possible.
The number of comments on here to the effect of “GB should offer $35M/year for 3 years and no more” is laughable. I’m not one to debate 1 player’s value vs another, but Daniel effing Jones got more than that, and I don’t know if he put together as many games/months of quality play in his career as Love did last season.
And what is GB’s alternative? Lowball him, and let’s just say he plays out this year, whether he’s an mvp caliber performer or..Daniel Jones..there’s a real possibility he walks and GB starts over..again..and like I said in the Lawrence thread-no Packer fan, coach or front office person wants to see Sean Clifford’s name with QB1 attached to it.
I agree with you on all that. While it may make us (and the Packers) nervous to give that type of deal as observers, $35 million is a relic of times gone by in 2024.
Pay him $54-55 million a year right now so you don’t have to pay him $57-58 million next year.
What is the real question? This guy was drafted to sit and wait his turn. He sat, he waited, and when he was finally called up he balled out.
Of course you pay him.
Yes defenses are going to be better prepared for him because they now have tape on him. But he is also going to be better prepared having had a full season to play and get more comfortable within the system.
The real question is whether or not he can stop under throwing his receivers which resulted in a lot of PI calls… if DB’s adjust, those will be picks this year
The NFL owners could save a lot of time by just giving every QB in the league a key to the Federal Reserve Bank 🙂
Make a reasonable long term offer at $40 million over five seasons, with three years guaranteed. Love won’t accept it. Allow Love to play prove-it year. If Love proves it over the course of a second season (when DC’s already have film on him), then pay him his $50 million/season. The price cannot go up from where it is now.
If Love frenzy hits fever pitch and Love doesn’t want to stay (Kirkie Cousins situation comes to mind), then drop a non-exclusive franchise tag on him. Someone will pay the two first round draft picks. Or go out and find a crazy trade partner who will give the Packers three first round picks and pay out a funny money contract.
Three first round picks, plus the cap savings will make up for the loss of any quarterback (possible exception Mahomes) in today’s NFL.
There’s no point in offering him Daniel Jones money. That’s not a realistic offer. If he plays a full season at near the level he played the last ten games of last season, and a few other QBs sign between now and then, the price will absolutely go up.
Do you understand the concept of a guaranteed contract?
If the Packers sign Love for $200 million guaranteed, they are tied to him for four full years. If Love struggles or runs into injury issues, there will be no money left over for a starting quarterback.
The Daniel Jones contract was a mistake that has hamstrung the Giants. It’s exactly why the Packers should not rush into signing a long term high dollar figure contract with Love. Let Love show he’s worth $50 million over the course of a season, then make him that offer.
Are you the guy who goes out on a second date with a pretty girl and proposes marriage on the spot?
PS. The $40 million/season long term offer is not meant for Love to sign. But if Love feels that he doesn’t want to play without long term injury guarantee, signing would allow him security. If he wants to bet on himself, it gives him that option as well. Next year he can sign his $50 million/year long term contract.
Again the price can’t change much between here and next year. Yes, it might be an extra $5 million/year if Love puts up an MVP season. But if Love, Daniel-Jones faceplants, then Love will be happy to sign at $30 to $40/million season on a shorter deal. It’s really Love’s choice to lock down security early or to bet on himself. That’s the point of the offer.
Love was substantially better this year than Jones has ever been, and Jones was much worse for multiple seasons as a starter before the one that got him paid. The Packers have had Love in the building for four years, getting an opportunity to start in the fourth year and looking like they hoped he would, just like Aaron Rodgers. In Rodgers’ case, they gave Rodgers a six year deal a few weeks into his first season as a starter and saved a ton of money by doing that. Giving big money to a guy who isn’t the answer can hamstring a team, but waiting to pay a guy you realistically know is your plan can hamstring you even worse, like where the Cowboys have positioned themselves.
Soooo six paragraphs to say that the latest on Love is there is nothing new to report.
So what was the point of all that. Everything in that article was just regurgitation from past articles.
You should ask for a subscription refund…oh wait!