Jordan Love is in the market for a new long-term contract, but that’s not keeping the Green Bay Packers quarterback from participating in voluntary offseason team activities.
“I mean, that’s just something that I’ve always done — trying to be here, get the reps in, get the work in with the guys, and just start building that chemistry and getting ready for the season,” Love said on Tuesday, via ESPN.
Love inked an extension last offseason that calls for him to be paid just $11 million in 2024, well below the going rate for a starting quarterback. There are 21 veteran quarterbacks set to make more cash than Love this season. Sides acknowledge a desire to get a new contract done that better aligns with Love’s future as the face of the franchise.
The quarterback’s participation in OTAs is a good sign of progress, and Love indicated a desire to be immersed fully in the offseason program. Things could always change if a new deal doesn’t come down in the coming months.
“We’ll see,” Love said Tuesday. “I don’t know yet. We’ll see.”
Head coach Matt LaFleur credited Love’s presence with near-perfect attendance at voluntary workouts.
“Oh, it’s everything to us,” LaFleur said of Love being at workouts. “Our attendance here, I know we had one guy missing today for a personal matter, but we’ve had almost 100% the entire offseason, which has been the best that we’ve had since I’ve been here.
“And I always think when you look around the league, when your quarterback’s there, it just naturally has a way of attracting everybody to come. We’re still a very young football team as well, so these guys, they want to put in the work. We’ve got a lot of guys that love the game and love the process of grinding together and going through some tough things together. But to have him here, you can’t put a value on that.”
The Packers can put a value on Love’s future play by inking him to a new deal. It’d behoove Green Bay to get a deal done now. As with all QB deals, it only gets more expensive the longer they wait, assuming Love continues to develop as expected.