Three of the four quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2020 draft have had their fifth-year options picked up. The Packers are the only team yet to make a decision on that front, despite the fast-approaching deadline to do so.
Jordan Love is officially in place as Green Bay’s QB1 with the Aaron Rodgers trade having been finalized last week. His fifth-year option would cost $20.27M next season if the team were to exercise it, a move which would represent at least a short-term commitment. Since the team has already made one commitment to Love by trading Rodgers, it would come as little surprise if they picked up Love’s option. A firm decision has yet to be made, however.
“Yeah, I’ve got to figure that out by Tuesday, I guess,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said on the subject of Love’s option, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “We’re kind of still working through that. We’ve been so focused on the draft. We’ve had some preliminary conversations, but we’ll get to that before Tuesday. It’s a lot of money for a guy who hasn’t played. But at the same time, obviously, we’re moving forward with him. So, we’ll figure that out by Tuesday."
Indeed, plenty of questions remain with respect to Love’s preparedness for an NFL starting job despite being three years removed from his rookie campaign. The 24-year-old has made 10 appearances, and only one start, during his time in Green Bay. The team has been consistent in their praise for the Utah State product, though, and a strong 2023 campaign could establish his worth as a legitimate starter.
If that were to happen, a price tag slightly over $20M would be a relative bargain considering the heights the QB market has reached in recent years. On the other hand, declining the option to turn this coming season into a make-or-break year for Love would make it easier to move on from him if he were to fail to progress in the way the team expects him to.
The Packers added a fifth-round quarterback during the draft in Penn State's Sean Clifford, but also two tight ends and three receivers to give Love a plethora of new pass catchers for his first season at the helm. Before he begins that new phase of his career, though, more clarity will have emerged with respect to his financial future.
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