Did the Packers sign Jordan Love to a contract extension too soon?

When it was reported on July 27 that Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers agreed to a record-breaking four-year, $220 million contract, it didn't necessarily come as a surprise to those who had been following the situation closely.

It was something that was generally discussed ever since the Packers were eliminated in the divisional round of last year's playoffs.

What many do consider a surprise, though, is the amount of money in total and guaranteed, mainly due to the unique career path the young 25-year-old had found himself in.

After just one year as the full-time starter, accumulating 4,159 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a passer rating of 96.1, Love has found himself tied with Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence as the highest-paid quarterbacks per year ($55 million) in the NFL.

Packers are taking a risk, but it could pay off in a big way

What throws many people off about this deal is his lack of long-term success, but, of course, that's not his fault, considering he hasn't had the opportunity to have any. There are no situations that are super comparable to Love's, even within his own draft class.

The first five QBs taken in the 2020 NFL Draft have all gone on to sign major extensions with the team that drafted them, but the others started at least 50 games by the end of the 2023 season compared to just 18 for Love.

One of the only players to have gotten an extension so early into their career was Green Bay's own Aaron Rodgers, who signed a five-year, $110 million deal in November 2008. Rodgers got his deal just three months into his first year starting, while Love went a complete season.

The two quarterbacks have followed a similar career path, sitting multiple seasons behind Hall-of-Famers, only to take the reins with expectations as high as they could get. If Love continues to handle it the way he has, then that new contract will undoubtedly become money well spent.

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