GREEN BAY, Wis. — You figured it was a matter of when, not if.

The Packers were going to sign quarterback Jordan Love to a lucrative contract extension.

Friday night, the national reports came out that the Packers had agreed to terms with Love. On Saturday, General Manager Brian Gutekunst confirmed them.

The numbers are staggering. Four years for $220 million. That's an average of $55 million per year, tying Love with Cincinnati's Joe Burrow and Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence for the top salary in the NFL.

Tthe signing bonus is $75 million and $155 million is guaranteed. Love is a happy participant in an exploding salary market for quarterbacks in the NFL. Of course it's a lot of money. That's just a reflection of what quarterbacks can get these days in the NFL.

Jordan Love has done everything right since arriving in Green Bay in 2020. He bit his tongue and bided his time for three years behind Aaron Rodgers. In 2023, he shook off a slow first half of the season to make his first year as a starter a big success.

Some teams never can find the right quarterback. The Packers have gone from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love. That's an incredible trifecta. It doesn't even include the great Bart Starr, who guided the Packers to five NFL championships in the 1960s.

There is no question that Love will now face increased scrutiny. With that bag of money, the expectations will be raised. 

Love has been at the Packers' first four practices of training camp, but did not participate because of the injury risk while the deal was being negotiated. Word Friday that Miami had signed Tua Tagovailoa to an extension seemed to be a domino that set the stage for Love.

We can argue deep into the night about the size of the contract and whether Love is worth it.

The reality is, the Packers have locked up a guy they think can lead them into the future. In the NFL, if you don't have a quarterback, you don't have anything.

The Packers believe they have theirs. And they have paid him accordingly.