Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love hinted Tuesday that his next contract extension might be in place by the time the team reports for training camp on July 22.
"It's what I've heard," he said Tuesday, via the Associated Press.
Love, who is eligible to sign a long-term extension, indicated that his agent has kept him in the loop on recent negotiations and that he has reason to be encouraged with the progress. Could things heat up once the Packers' minicamp is completed?
"Yeah, I think they should," Love said, keeping his cards quite close to his vest.
Last week, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst expressed similar optimism on the state of affairs, saying: "We'd like to get this done before training camp for sure. Both parties want to get a contract extension done."
Love has been a regular participant at Packers OTAs, which surely has won him favor in the building as the two sides close in on an agreement. Also helping his cause was his breakout 2023 season, when Love started slowly in the shadow of Aaron Rodgers but finished with 4,159 passing yards and 32 touchdown passes -- numbers Rodgers didn't reach until his second and fourth starting seasons, respectively.
Even after the progress made last season, Love said he has plenty to clean up. In addition to Love's slow start, he also ended his season in disappointing fashion, throwing two fourth-quarter INTs in the Divisional Round loss to the 49ers.
Love said Tuesday that he's targeted a few areas of improvement this offseason.
"The main thing for me is understanding where to go with the ball, always making the right decision, not forcing the ball downfield and trying to fit it in certain windows, things like that," Love said. "Just process, and understanding where I need to go with the ball, and then pocket movement, making smaller movements in the pocket, not being so quick to try and get out of there, but to stay in the pocket and try and find those receivers downfield. That's something I've been working on. Also throwing on the move, going right, being able to get my shoulders downhill, my body downhill and not be drifting away from the throw."
Assuming a deal gets done, this technically will be Love's second extension with the Packers. In lieu of picking up the fifth-year option on Love, the Packers signed him to a one-year extension last May that included $13.5 million guaranteed. More than one calendar year has passed since that contract adjustment, so Love is free to sign a new deal at any time now.
Of course, there's the NFL landscape to consider. Following Jared Goff's recent deal that reset the QB market, there are other young QBs in addition to Love who also are waiting for new contracts, including the Cowboys' Dak Prescott, Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa and the Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence.
The timing and order of these deals will be fascinating. For agents, it can be a game of chicken; sometimes getting deals done early can leave money on the negotiating table, but if a new quarterback extension is bigger than expected, it can set the two sides back.
If Love's contract is the first to get done, it's possible he exceeds the deal received by his division rival Goff. The Lions signed their quarterback to a four-year, $212 million deal that ranked him alongside the Bengals' Joe Burrow as two of the highest-paid QBs in the game today.
All signs point to the Packers' three-decade run of success at quarterback continuing. Love still has much to prove, and no deal is yet done. But the Packers clearly believe in the man they handpicked in the 2020 NFL Draft to be Rodgers' eventual replacement, patiently developing him behind the scenes. Love also clearly believes a contract is in the offing
