General manager Brian Gutekunst’s choice to pick up free safety Darnell Savage’s fifth-year option last May seemed highly questionable at the time. The former Maryland star was coming off his worst season and hadn’t come close to living up to expectations since being drafted 21st overall in 2019. Ten months, a benching, and a position change later, the decision looks downright stupid. The Packers are now stuck with an almost $8 million nickel corner or backup in 2023.
What makes the Savage saga even worse is how easy it was to avoid. Gutekunst could’ve allowed the 25-year-0ld to play out the final year of his rookie deal and then decided on whether to keep him or let him go. On the remote chance that Savage suddenly blossomed from a mediocre starter to a star, the Packers could’ve extended him at any time before the start of free agency in March or, if worse came to worst, slapped him with the franchise tag. The cost would be $12.4M, but paying him that after a Pro Bowl-caliber season would’ve been far more palatable than paying him $8M after a poor one.
Gutekunst has another fifth-year option to consider in May, and while many members of the media are making it seem like a difficult choice, it couldn’t be simpler. There’s absolutely no way he should guarantee Jordan Love $20M for 2024. Even if 39-year-0ld Aaron Rodgers retires or is traded in the coming weeks and the former No. 1 pick from Utah State is finally handed the keys to the car, the only decision that makes sense is to do nothing and see what transpires next season.
If Love bombs as the starter, there’s no harm done. He goes on his way, and Green Bay can draft his replacement with what would likely be a top-10 pick in 2024. And if he plays well or at least shows legitimate potential, Gutekunst has the option of extending him during the season or, if worse comes to worst, using the franchise tag to keep him from going to another team. Shelling out an extra $12M for the quarterback of the future would be a heck of a lot easier to accept than guaranteeing $20M to the next DeShone Kizer, the prospect Love reminded me of most while watching tape in 2020.
So what happens if the Packers decide to keep Rodgers around in 2023? In that scenario, Gutekunst could either trade Love in the coming months, attempt to sign him to a short-term extension to keep him from becoming a free agent a year from now, or simply let him walk after next season. The third option would be the least appealing, but plenty of No. 1 picks haven’t received a second contract from the team that drafted them, including a half-dozen quarterbacks since 2015.
OK, this is what I think should happen. What do I think will happen? My guess is that Gutekunst will exercise the fifth-year option. Doing otherwise would suggest trading up for Love was a big mistake, and all the crap with Rodgers that ensued from that decision was unnecessary. A strong and confident GM like Ron Wolf or Ted Thompson wouldn’t care about perception, but as Gutekunst showed by handing the underachieving Savage $8M, saving face seems to matter to him.
Gutekunst has stated he has seen enough of Love to make that decision but in my opinion just about any evaluation he has made ( contracts and drafting decisions) have mostly been poor. My only concern with him now is how far he’ll drive this team into the ground. If Rodgers stays I’m predicting Gutey will be in panic mode acquisition wise to try one last shot at a Super Bowl. If Love stays and Rodgers goes maybe he’ll get back to rebuilding the team and get the cap straightened so organization can better positioned for years to come.
Jordan Love has worked hard, kept quiet, and remained above the fray during the endless Aaron Rodgers drama. He’s seen fellow QB class members Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts excel in the NFL while he was put in an unenviable position in Green Bay. As a show of good faith, Brian Gutekunst most certainly should exercise his 5th year option if he believes he’s the future for the Green Bay Packers. If we were willing to pay Aaron Rodgers 60 million next season for what in all likelihood will be a repeat of his 2022 campaign. Then Jordan Love’s 5th year option will be a bargain. Even if he’s more Brett Hundley than Jalen Hurts. One year isn’t a deal breaker. I would think at the time he was drafted some verbal agreement was made with Love. Work with us and we’ll reward you. I don’t think you can go back on that. There’s been no talk of trading Jordan Love. Rodgers will be traded or retired. It’ll be his call. Management has already made its decision to move on at QB.
I don’t think “a show of good faith” is good enough reason to pay an unproven player $20 million dollars for one season. And don’t get me wrong, I think it’s time to move on from Rodgers and give Love an opportunity to show what he’s got.
Gute needs to run the Packers like a successful business, and cap dollars should be treated like gold. If he’s not doing this, he’s a poor steward of the franchise that we all root for.
I don’t care how confident Gutekunst is in Love, it would be dumb to guarantee $20 million to a quarterback who’s thrown 83 passes in three seasons. If Rodgers retires or is traded and Love plays well next season, the Packers will find a way to keep him. A player should have to earn $20 million for one year, and through no fault of his own, Love hasn’t done that.
I go back and forth on whether Rodgers will be the QB in 2023. It makes all the sense in the world to trade him now, but are Murphy, Gutekunst, and LaFleur willing to have a few very tough seasons? That will happen if Love isn’t the guy, and the odds are he won’t be the guy. That’s just the way it is with most quarterbacks drafted in the first round. I remember reading that less than half of the 60 quarterbacks drafted in the first round since 2000 had successful careers in the NFL.
We’ll know for sure what the Packers think of Love in a few weeks. If Gutekunst and LaFleur believe in Love, they’ll move on from Rodgers. If they don’t believe in Love, they’ll keep riding Rodgers until he’s completely out of gas.
The franchise tag is a powerful tool the way the cap continues to rise. A top 5 qb salary (what Love would get with the tag) in 2024 isn’t a big cap hit in 2026, assuming Love plays well enough to remain with the Packers. Not giving him the option makes all the sense in the world.
We’ve seen 83 passes Scot. Gutekunst has seen him in practice for three years. He seems confident that he’s the guy. With the season a lost cause, I would have preferred to have sit Rodgers the last 6 weeks and got a good look at Love. Gutekunst claimed it wasn’t necessary. Maybe that’s true, or maybe out of respect for Rodgers, Gutekunst and LaFleur didn’t want him to finish his career in GB on the bench. These young, talented guys need to play and Jordan Love is ready for his shot. Had he gone anywhere else, he’d be playing right now. How well remains to be seen. But if I’m Jordan Love I want out if I don’t get my shot now. Which I’m sure is being conveyed to management. There’s virtually no Jordan Love trade talks. They’ve made their decision it’s Jordan Love. The only question that remains is, will Aaron Rodgers retire or play elsewhere? As far as the 5th year option, it rewards Love in the short term for being a good soldier and buys you more time to evaluate Love as a starter. It costs you a few million up front but saves you tens of millions of the back end of a second contract if Love starts out hot then fades as defenses pick apart his game. Like the Favre transition before it, the Packers are in a delicate situation with Aaron Rodgers. He’s not just another player but a Packer icon. Emotions run high. Jordan Love could make this about him but doesn’t. That alone is worth the 5th option. How good does Jordan Love have to be to go 8-9, throw 26 TD’s and 12 INT’s ? Aaron Rodgers numbers last year. With each passing season Rodgers misses more and more throws and he’s less mobile. I contend the gap between Rodgers and Love isn’t as great as some think or hope. I’m excited to see Love, Watson, and Doubs play in this QB friendly offense. I see Matt LaFleur being able to mold Love into the QB he always envisioned to run his offense. I see Jordan Love being set up for success and that’s good for all Packer fans.
I still think there’s a good chance Rodgers will be the Packers’ QB next season. Unless he asks for a trade, I doubt Murphy, Gutekunst, and LaFleur will decide to move on from their meal ticket.
Tom M. ” I see Matt LaFleur being able to mold Love into the QB he always envisioned to run his offense”
When Love was coming off the field after a touchdown pass against the Eagles, Matt was smiling ear to ear and that very thought might have been running through his head. Love was ripping it that day.
It was always going to take time with Jordan Love, Larry. He had the skill set but not the maturity. With Love it was could he figure out the game from the neck up. After the Chiefs game, LaFleur said he was too robotic, he want to see Love let it rip and make plays. That was more indecisiveness that comes with inexperience and not wanting to make a mistake. Of course the haters began calling him a bust. The Detroit game last season was the one that really disappointed me the most. I didn’t see any growth. Then after his first preseason game against SF, as I recall, where he actually played pretty well. Love made the comment to the effect, I know what I did wrong against Detroit and I’ve been working in the offseason to correct that. That shows self awareness and a willingness to put in the time to make yourself better. And he has been better every time he’s been on the field. This by no means guarantees anything but we see signs Love might be putting it all together. By contrast, the late Dwayne Haskins preferred to spend his time in titty bars and strip clubs instead of perfecting his talent. As far as the money goes, it’s really about a partnership between your GM, HC and franchise QB. There has to a sense of openness and trust. I see the 5th year option as an act of good faith….
everyone chiming in here.. i will try my hand.
i am hoping that the FO knows what it is doing at QB. they have had ample opportunity to evaluate Love and Rodgers: they are all insiders. from the outside, my ideal is that Rodgers gets traded for a boatload of draft capital to an AFC team where he will stay for at least a couple of years. then, Love either flourishes or crashes. a crash, with lots of draft capital, would put the Pack in position to draft a franchise QB in the next draft. if Love flourishes, then he sticks either on the 5th year option or franchise tag or a new contract and the Packers can gather praise for 3 cherries on the slot machine.
the biggest risk for the franchise is keeping Rodgers. cap complications along with QB confusion.. possibly years of mediocrity. even a 2024 SB win would proceed confusion ahead for the organization.
i owe Rodgers my renewed interest in pro football. for me, he brought back the sports interview and a deep appreciation for the game of football. lets have a bella ciao.
Good debate in this thread, and for good reason; it’s the most important offseason decision by the Packers.
The only take I disagree with is that somehow both Love and Rodgers are on the roster next year. The cap dollars alone would cripple the rest of the team. We can’t rule it out, but holy cow how stupid would that be?