QB Jordan Love will not practice with Packers due to uncertain contract situation
GREEN BAY, Wisconsin — Jordan Love will not practice with the Green Bay Packers until the quarterback’s contract extension negotiations are resolved, general manager Brian Gutekunst said Monday.
Gutekunst said Love reported to camp last week but wouldn’t work out until an agreement is reached. Love’s contract expires at the end of the season.
“We certainly understand where he’s coming from,” Gutekunst said before the Packers held their first practice. “We’d like to have him on the field. It’s important to him. Obviously, you know how important practice is and working with your teammates. But right now, until we get this resolved, he’s not going to practice.”
Gutekunst remains optimistic that the Packers and Love can reach an agreement soon. He noted that Love is participating in all other team activities.
“Yeah, I think so,” Gutekunst said. “Again, you never know. We’re working really hard to get there. I think it’s really important to us. … What I’m confident in is that we both want the same thing.”
Love’s decision means the Packers opened training camp with Sean Clifford and seventh-round rookie pick Michael Pratt as the only available quarterbacks.
“It’s part of our game and our job, but we’re confident he’ll be on the field sooner rather than later,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “I know how he prepares, so I’m not too worried about that. He’s going to do everything he can to get the mental reps. Obviously, the physical reps are really important.”
The Packers signed Love to a one-year extension in May 2023 that included $13.5 million in guaranteed money and an additional $9 million in incentives. The deal essentially gave the Packers time to evaluate Love as he entered his first season as a starter after four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets.
Love responded by stepping up late and leading the NFL’s youngest team to a 10-9 season that included an appearance in the NFC divisional playoffs.
While the Packers and Love have tried to negotiate an extension this offseason, other quarterbacks have signed lucrative contracts. Detroit’s Jared Goff signed a four-year contracta $212 million extension with $170 million guaranteed and Trevor Lawrence from Jacksonville accepted a five-year contract$275 million extension with $142 million guaranteed.
Love, 25, completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 4,159 yards with 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last year and improved significantly as the season went on.
He threw 21 touchdown passes with just one interception during a nine-game stretch that culminated in a surprise victory of 48-32 Dallas Cowboys in a wild-card playoff game. Love threw two interceptions in the second half the following week in a Defeat 24-21 to the San Francisco 49ers.
Gutekunst said he hasn’t given much thought this spring to the possibility of Love missing some practices, but added that “if you get to a certain point, there’s a certain level of risk that a player takes by going out on the field, so you’re always aware that it could happen.” Gutekunst praised Love for being “very open and candid” throughout those negotiations.
“It’s just part of the job, it’s not unexpected,” Gutekunst said. “We’re going to work to get it done, and hopefully he doesn’t miss too much time. We’ve got a lot of work to do. We think we have a very good football team, but we have to come together as a team, and he’s a big part of that. So him being on the field is important to us. We’ll get that done.”
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