What Tua Tagovailoa's massive extension means for Jordan Love and Packers

Another major quarterback contract domino has fallen, but we still await Jordan Love's new deal.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Miami Dolphins have signed Tua Tagovailoa to a four-year contract extension worth $212.4 million. That works out at $53.1 million per year.

Up next, Love? The former first-round pick hasn't practiced in the opening week of training camp, and with padded practices beginning on Saturday, the Packers will want to get this done as soon as possible.

Love and Tagovailoa are represented by the same agency, so it would make sense that this is the final hurdle to be cleared before the Packers finalize an extension with their star quarterback.

Tua's deal could give us some clues about what's next for the Packers.

Tua Tagovailoa extension could pave way for Packers to finalize Jordan Love contract

The biggest takeaway is that Tagovailoa's contract is only four years in length, not five. We can probably expect the same for Love. It's a smart play on the player's end, as it means they can begin negotiations on a new top-of-the-market deal in the next two to three years. A longer deal would suit the team.

Interestingly, Tagovailoa didn't set a new NFL record. His $53.1 million salary is just above Jared Goff's $53 million-per-year extension from earlier this offseason but below the $55 million salary that Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow are earning.

If anything, this deal sets the floor for Love. There's no way his incoming extension will fall below $53.1 million annually. According to Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports, Green Bay "will likely need to at least" a similar deal to Lawrence's.

It's more likely that Love will set a new NFL record above that $55 million salary.

The good news is that Tagovailoa didn't break the record. Had he signed a deal worth $55-56 million per year, the Packers may have had to move closer to $60 million.

Time will tell, but Tagovailoa's extension likely clears the path for the Love deal to get done. It won't be surprising if it's a four-year extension worth around $56-57 million annually. We'll see.

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