Packers Projected to Sign $20 Million Extension for First-Round Pick

While the Green Bay Packers and general manager Brian Gutekunst are working hard to manager their salary cap, the front office is projected to have to pick up the $20 million fifth-year option for one of their former first-round picks in 2024.

According to Over the Cap, the Packers have just $13 million in cap space for 2024, but that number will change significantly if they’re able to trade Aaron Rodgers and free themselves of his contract after this season. Still, thats not particularly a lot of cap space to work with so many moves needing to be made over the next year.

Regardless, Kristopher Knox with Bleacher Report expects the Packers to pick up Jordan Love’s fifth-year option for 2024. Teams have until May 1 to exercise these options, with Knox expecting Love and Justin Herbert to both receive the one-year extension while Joe Burrow receives a massive deal.

“Love, meanwhile, has just one start on his resume after spending his first three seasons backing up Aaron Rodgers,” Knox said. “Green Bay needs time to evaluate Love before making a decision on his future, so the fifth-year option makes perfect sense.”

The fifth-year option would be a one-year, $20.27 million deal that’s fully guaranteed for Love. For a quarterback who has only logged one career start, that’s quite a payday for the former first-round pick.

Latest on Aaron Rodgers

It’s been a month since Rodgers announced on The Pat McAfee Show that he intends to play for the Jets in 2023. However, with a trade still not finalized, rumors and speculation are running wild as the 2023 NFL Draft approaches.

According to Charles Robinson with Yahoo! Sports, it’s that same interview with McAfee that has stalled trade negotiations. Along with revealing that the Packers are asking for a first-round pick in 2024 and second-round pick this year, Robinson shared that Jets owner Woody Johnson got cold feet on a trade when Rodgers told McAfee that he was leaning towards retirement prior to his darkness retreat.

Packers president Mark Murphy wouldn’t reveal much when asked about Rodgers prior to the team’s annual bus tour across Wisconsin. However, Murphy did note the parallels to the situation compared to how the team dealt with Brett Favre before he inevitably was traded to the Jets.

For fans hoping for a resolution soon, ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggested that both sides are dug in, and a trade could be delayed until after this year’s draft. If that’s the case, then there still could be multiple weeks remaining of Rodgers trade drama.

Is Jordan Love Ready to Start?

Packers fans have barely seen Love take the field in meaningful action, but a brief glimpse last season is giving them hope that he can be a capable starting quarterback in the NFL.

The 24-year-old former first-round pick has just one career start at the pro level, struggling in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2021. However, Love looked much more comfortable in Week 12 of last season coming in for an injured Rodgers, completing 6 of 9 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter of a loss.

Those two stints are the only real information Packers fans have on Love, but it seems like his time is coming. The 24-year-old was considering a trade request if Rodgers returns in 2023, but now he’ll finally get his chance to prove to Packers fans why he was taken in the first round back in 2020.