Opposing teams aren't convinced Jordan Love's $220 million extension with the Green Bay Packers will present huge hurdles for the franchise, according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe.
Howe reported Monday that "there really weren't any strong shrugs among rivals" about Love's deal and that "there's so much respect for general manager Brian Gutekunst's rapid rebuild in the post-Aaron Rodgers era."
Because of that, Love's $55 million average annual salary isn't considered to be a "hindrance" to Gutekunst from a salary cap perspective.
You don't have to be a mathematician to know that assembling a Super Bowl-caliber roster is easier for an NFL GM when the starting quarterback is earning a salary well below the market rate.
But there's also a reason quarterbacks keep earning more and more. You pretty much need an elite signal-caller to win a Super Bowl, and savvy front-office personnel can navigate around a QB who accounts for a sizable chunk of the cap.
Center Creed Humphrey was the most recent veteran leader of the Kansas City Chiefs to get a big extension despite Patrick Mahomes making $45 million per year. Tom Brady tied for the seventh-highest cap hit in 2020 when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won a Super Bowl. The Detroit Lions reached the NFC title game last year with Jared Goff carrying the third-biggest cap hit.
Love's new contract undoubtedly qualifies as a risk.
The 25-year-old was excellent to finish out 2023, throwing for 2,150 yards, 18 touchdowns and one interception before torching the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round. He also only has one full season as a starter under his belt.
The Packers took this plunge with much less evidence than franchises usually do when handing out deals of this scale.
Should Green Bay fail to reach the heights it's aiming for over the next few years, that will likely be down to Love's development not progressing as expected rather than the financial ramifications of his extension.
