After three seasons of sitting behind Aaron Rodgers, who'd been traded to the New York Jets, Jordan Love finally got his chance to shine as the Green Bay Packers' starting quarterback.
And while things got off to a strong start, as the 2020 first-round pick threw for 245 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-20 Week 1 win over the rival Chicago Bears, the Packers dropped six of their next eight games, falling to 3-6 on the season.
But behind several strong performances down the stretch from Love, who ultimately closed the campaign having completed 64.2% of his passes for 4,159 yards with 32 touchdowns against 11 inteceptions, Green Bay won six of its final eight to finish 9-8, thus securing the seventh and final slot on the NFC side of the NFL postseason bracket.
And not only did Love do what neither Rodgers nor Brett Favre could by making the playoffs in his first year as QB1, but he also picked up his first playoff win, completing 76.2% of his throws for 272 yards with three touchdowns and no picks in a 48-32 thrashing of the second-seeded Dallas Cowboys.
He wasn't nearly as sharp in Green Bay's Divisional Round loss to the eventual NFC champion San Francisco 49ers, but Packers GM Brian Gutekunst had seen all he needed to see and inked Love to a four-year, $220 million contract extension a few months later.
At the time, Love's $55 million AAV tied him with Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence for the highest in NFL history, a number since surpassed only by Dak Prescott's $60 million.
It's no secret that not everyone agreed with Green Bay's decision to dish out so much money to a player with just one year of experience as a starter, especially one who plays arguably the most important position in sports.
Could he continue to produce at a high level and keep the Packers competitive? Would his salary cap hit hinder Green Bay's ability to build around him?
Love answered the first question with another solid season in 2024, helping the Packers to an 11-6 record and a second straight trip to the playoffs while completing 63.1% of his passes for 3,389 yards with 25 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.
As for the second, the Utah State alum obviously has no control over his cap number, but the Packers constructed his contract in such a way that, despite being one of the highest-paid players in the league, he won't have a cap hit that ranks among the top 10 until the final year of his deal in 2028.
Jordan Love's salary cap hits over the next few years aren't as high as Packers fans might think
For the upcoming 2025 campaign, per Spotrac, Love's cap number is $29.69 million, which ranks 16th among all players and 13th among quarterbacks.
Player | Position | Team | 2025 Cap Number |
|---|---|---|---|
Dak Prescott | QB | Cowboys | $50,518,430 |
Matthew Stafford | QB | Rams | $47,466,666 |
Joe Burrow | QB | Bengals | $45,999,784 |
Lamar Jackson | QB | Ravens | $43,500,000 |
Kyler Murray | QB | Cardinals | $43,325,677 |
Geno Smith | QB | Raiders | $40,000,000 |
Kirk Cousins | QB | Falcons | $40,000,000 |
Tua Tagovailoa | QB | Dolphins | $39,181,294 |
Maxx Crosby | DE | Raiders | $38,153,250 |
Justin Herbert | QB | Chargers | $37,345,675 |
Josh Allen | QB | Bills | $36,335,281 |
Deshaun Watson | QB | Browns | $35,971,514 |
Jared Goff | QB | Lions | $32,600,000 |
Taylor Moton | RT | Panthers | $31,347,916 |
T.J. Watt | OLB | Steelers | $30,418,694 |
Jordan Love | QB | Packers | $29,687,143 |
As it typically goes with big contracts, Love's cap number will continue to rise as the deal progresses. But it won't be as bad as Packers fans might think.
In 2026, it jumps to $36.16 million. But even with the increase, that figure currently ranks 21st among all players and 14th among quarterbacks.
In 2027, the number rises to $42.46 million, ranking 13th among all players and 11th among quarterbacks.
These are all manageable figures and should afford the Packers the opportunity to take a run at some high-profile free agents over the next few years if they so choose. The 2028 campaign looks a little tricky at the moment, as Love's cap number currently comes out to $74.2 million, the second-highest in the NFL behind only Prescott's $78.39 million.
But if Love continues to improve and keeps winning football games, one could assume the Packers won't let things get that far, as they'll simply sign him to another extension and construct it in a manner consistent with this current contract.
So, we'll just have to wait and see how things play out. For now, though, Jordan Love looks like an absolute bargain.