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Will Tua or Jordan Love win a playoff recreation this yr?
Joe Fortenbaugh guidelines out Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love profitable a playoff recreation this season with the Dolphins and Packers respectively.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Anybody who thinks the Inexperienced Bay Packers acted too quickly once they gave Jordan Love the large contract extension that was agreed to Friday, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, wants a historical past lesson.
Return within the archives or Google this: What number of video games did Aaron Rodgers begin earlier than the Packers signed him to a contract extension?
Merely seven.
The Packers tore up Rodgers’ 2005 rookie deal and on Oct. 31, 2008, they agreed on a five-year extension price $65 million. It included $40.5 million within the first three years of the deal. That may appear to pale compared to Love — who will make greater than that within the first yr as a part of a four-year, $220 million contract that ties him with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence and Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow because the highest-paid QBs in NFL historical past — however Rodgers’ deal ranked within the high 5 on the quarterback pay scale.
To that time, Rodgers had led the Packers to a 4-3 begin whereas throwing 12 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He had a passer ranking of 98.8, even whereas enjoying the earlier three video games with a shoulder damage.
Ted Thompson, the late normal supervisor who determined that was sufficient to go on, defined it by saying: “We attempt to be proactive in our discussions with our present gamers, and we felt like this was an acceptable time to attempt to come to an settlement with Aaron. We really feel like that is good for the group and the gamers, and we are going to proceed this strategy as we transfer ahead.”
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Present GM Brian Gutekunst, who was an space scout for the Packers on the time, little doubt filed that away for future consideration. In spite of everything, he replicated what Thompson did in choosing Rodgers (though Brett Favre was nonetheless enjoying at a excessive degree) when he selected Love within the first spherical of the 2020 draft (though Rodgers was nonetheless enjoying at a excessive degree).
Like Love, Rodgers spent three years as a backup and was nonetheless on his rookie contract when he turned the starter. That was earlier than first-round choose contracts had a fifth-year possibility, so Rodgers was on a straight five-year deal, which means he was beneath contract via 2009.
Final Could, Gutekunst had the choice to choose up the fifth yr on Love’s rookie deal. That may have assured Love $20.272 million for the 2024 season. As an alternative, the 2 sides agreed to a one-year extension. That deal gave Love extra upfront cash, as he acquired an $8.788 million signing bonus straight away. It additionally made it simpler for the Packers to maneuver on after 2023 in the event that they believed Love wasn’t their man.
That was nonetheless in query when the calendar turned to November. The Packers had been 2-5, and when Gutekunst held his annual in-season session with reporters, he was requested whether or not he would wish multiple season to judge whether or not Love was the long-term reply. He stated he hoped not however made it clear how vital the remainder of the season could be to that analysis.
All Love did was throw 18 touchdowns in opposition to one interception over the ultimate eight video games and lead the Packers to a playoff berth. From there, he put collectively a stellar efficiency within the wild-card recreation on the Dallas Cowboys earlier than the Packers’ season ended with a divisional spherical loss on the San Francisco 49ers.
In that regard, he was a step forward of Rodgers, who did not seem in a playoff recreation till his second season because the starter. The yr after that, he led the Packers to the Tremendous Bowl.
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“The good factor about having a man in your constructing for the final 4 years is you completely know who he’s,” Gutekunst stated. “There is no ensures about something going ahead. However we all know how he will reply and the way he will react and the way he will work, as an alternative of signing a participant that has not been in your constructing and guaranteeing all that to him.
“Actually having 4 years with him, I feel offers us loads of consolation, and what he is all about and the way his teammates have a look at him and the group seems at him.”
A lot has modified for the Packers since this time final yr, once they might solely hope that Love would pan out. Now they’re set as much as construct round him for years to return.
“A yr in the past, clearly, going into OTAs and going into the offseason, there was loads of questioning on what he can do,” Packers receiver Romeo Doubs stated. “Simply so far as his poise and management all through the course of [last] yr, I assumed he is achieved a incredible job simply with the ability to maintain himself at a reasonably impartial degree so far as not being so excessive and low. Future’s excessive for Jordan. I am glad I get to be part of this journey with him. I am solely wanting ahead to progress and progress.”
