4 Packers deserving extensions after Jordan Love signs new deal

Ink is finally to paper and the Green Bay Packers have locked up their quarterback, Jordan Love, to a staggering four-year, $220 million deal.

Coming off the team’s first playoff win since the 2020 season, Green Bay has opened a new "win now" window with eyes set on bringing another Lombardi Trophy back to Titletown.

With QB1 locked up, the Packers now have to focus on painting the rest of the picture around Love.

This begs the question: Who is going to land the next extension?

Which Packers players are in line for an extension after Jordan Love?

Romeo Doubs

• Eligible for contract extension: 2025

Now that Green Bay has QB1 locked up, the next task is keeping his top target happy and rewarding him with a new deal. Love thrived with the plethora of young talent at the skill positions, particularly the wide receiver group.

Doubs is eligible for a contract extension at the end of this season. Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks can't sign new deals until the end of 2025.

Christian Watson may have higher upside, when he's healthy, but sometimes a player's best ability is availability. That leaves Doubs, aka Mr. Reliable. Doubs certainly has been available, playing in all 17 games in 2023, finishing tied for the team lead in touchdowns (8) and second in receiving yards (674). He also starred in the playoff win against Dallas, hauling in six catches for 151 yards and a touchdown.

He isn't flashy but gets the job done—a James Jones 2.0, if you will (3.0 if you count James Jones Hoodie SZN separately). Of Doubs' 59 catches in 2023, 41 were for first downs, per Pro Football Reference.

Brett Favre had Sterling Sharpe and Donald Driver. Aaron Rodgers had Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams. Now, Love has Doubs. 

Quay Walker

• Eligible for contract extension: 2025

This may be the lowest priority on this list, given that Green Bay will have the choice next offseason to exercise Quay Walker's fifth-year option as a first-round pick. That said, Walker certainly deserves that fifth year and another deal to come with it. He led the team last season with 118 tackles and had the only pick-six in the regular season.

There was some hesitation to put anyone on the defensive side of the ball on this list. A new defensive scheme with Jeff Hafley at the helm may change the worthiness of a new deal of several guys going forward. That said, a guy with a motor like Walker should be universal in any scheme, especially one as aggressive as Hafley's 4-2-5 base.

Rasheed Walker

• Eligible for contract extension: 2025

There are no frills about this one. You paid the quarterback, and now you have to keep him upright. After stepping in for David Bakhtiari and playing well enough for the Packers to move on from the injury-plagued vet, Rasheed Walker gets the nod here.

Walker struggled at times last year, finding his footing while protecting Love's blindside, but ended the year on a significant hot streak, grading out as one of the highest tackles over the final two months of the season (per PFF). It's no coincidence that the Packers' winning ways mirrored this timeline.

If this momentum continues, pay the man next offseason.

TJ Slaton

• Eligible for extension: Immediately

Unlike everyone else on this list, TJ Slaton is the only one playing in the final year of his contract. If Brian Gutekunst and Co. plan to keep him around, this bumps the timeline up a bit compared to the others.

Slaton started all 17 games last season and had a career-high 50 tackles, nearly matching his total of 54 from his first two seasons. He also defended two passes and registered two QB hits.

As mentioned above, picking a defensive player as a new coordinator comes in can be risky when looking at contract extensions. Time will tell if Slaton is a good fit in the new Hafley-led defense. But, as with Quay Walker, this should be a position where success translates in 2024.

Honorable mentions

I did want to spotlight Corey Ballentine and Eric Stokes.

Healthy Eric Stokes has top-corner potential, and he plays even faster than his blazing 4.29-second 40-yard dash time. However, after only playing 12 games over the last two seasons and having his fifth-year option already declined, 2024 is a make-or-break season. Stokes will definitely be a candidate worth discussing next offseason if he can stay healthy.

That's where Corey Ballentine comes in. Ballentine has been incredibly efficient when called upon in Green Bay over the last two seasons. An interception and forced fumble on top of 48 tackles across 22 games is nothing to slouch at, and he could be another 1-2 year extension candidate if called upon.

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