GREEN BAY, Wis. — Quarterback Jordan Love has signed his four-year, $220 million contract extension with the Green Bay Packers.
Love practiced with the Packers Saturday, their first practice with pads during training camp.
Love said the big money won’t change who he is as a player or person.
“You got to keep the main thing, the main thing,” said Love. “I’ve stuck to that and just being the person I am and try and find ways to improve the player I can be, the leader I can be. And that’s the mindset, always trying to get better.”
The $55 million annual average salary ties Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence for the highest in NFL history and ties Love to the Packers through 2028. The deal reportedly includes a record $75 million signing bonus.
“Kind of roughly knew kind of a range, or where it was going to be and to where it fell,” said Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst. “The hard part for me sometimes is like when you kind of know that, you’d love for it to get be done quicker. But it never, never transpires that way. It always takes time,”
“The thing that’s so impressive about him (Love) is just how resilient he is,” said Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. “Never gets fazed, just continues to fight. I think that says a lot about him. I think that’s a big reason why we’re standing here today, talking about him.”
Love continues the Packers’ impressive lineage at quarterback. Since 1992, they’ve had Hall of Famer Brett Favre, four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and now Love at the position.
“It’s definitely a blessing, and that’s why I’m very grateful that the Packers believe in me and are putting their faith in me,” said Love.
Love is one of only nine quarterbacks who started every game last season in the NFL.
Love said he knows that his new contract raises the bar on what’s expected from him.
“That’s part of the job that we signed up for,” said Love. “You’ve got to find ways to deal with that pressure, and handle as best you can, to be the best player you can be every day. Be able to show up and kind of block out the noise. Block the pressure out. And that kind of goes into mental, how you can handle some of the stuff that’s thrown at you.”
“It goes back to, to whom much is given, much is expected,” said LaFleur. “That’s just the reality of our league. I think he’ll embrace that. I don’t think you’ll see a difference in the person.”
“In my opinion, it’s the hardest position to play in all of sports,” said Gutekunst. “There’s a pressure that comes with that and guys deal with that different ways. But he’s had a lot of pressure before in different situations and he seemed to handle it well. So, we certainly would expect him to handle this. He loves football, you know, and he loves to play. And this is really important to him. And usually guys like that, no matter what the pressure is around them, can kind of focus on what’s important to him. And that’s what we expect.”
Love had been watching training camp practices, but Saturday (the first day the Packers practiced in pads) he was a full participant. His strong finish to last season paved the way for a big payday.
“I know there were a lot of questions going into last year,” said Love. “I just had to go out there on my team and be the best player I can be. Have my play speak for myself.”
It’s been a big summer for Love. First, he got engaged. Now, this contract. Love specifically mentioned appreciating the support of his mother.
“Obviously, my mom has been a rock in my whole life,” said Love. “She’s been there with me through it all. Taking me to Little League practices, being there for all those games and a lot of adversity that we’ve been through in life.”