More than a part of the long-term plan for the Packers, quarterback Jordan Love is the long-term plan in Green Bay.
Following the path of his scouting predecessors, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst plans to place contract negotiations with Love on the frontburner as soon as the 24-7 focus on the draft passes this weekend.
Gutekunst holds a league-high 11 draft picks and wants to add to his playoff roster behind Love, who is first eligible for a contract extension on May 3, one year after his most recent pact with the Packers.
“We believe in that process very, very much,” Gutekunst said. “Whether it goes back to Ron (Wolf) and Ted (Thompson), all the people who have left here and had success other places. … We believe in that. The draft is the lifeblood of this organization.”
Sean Clifford currently slots at Love’s backup, but the 2023 fifth-round pick can expect some company on the depth chart.
“Getting back to drafting multiple quarterbacks is something that I’ve wanted to do,” Gutekunst said.
Love, a first-round pick in 2020, overcame a shaky debut as the starter for the Packers to deliver an emphatic response to questions about his status as the heir to Aaron Rodgers. He finished second in the NFL with 32 touchdown passes in the regular season.
Love’s record-setting showing at Dallas in the Packers’ wild-card win and another strong showing on the road at San Francisco the following week, despite two interceptions, convinced Gutekunst and the scouting staff he was deserving of the mantle. Love played the 2023 season on a modified contract that replaced the fifth-year team option.
Last month at the owner’s meetings, Gutekunst confirmed preliminary negotiations were underway with Love, 25, targeting a long-term agreement.
“We want to make sure we do it the right way,” he said. “We’ve started, but it’s not something that’s going to go quickly, I don’t think. It’ll take some time.”
