The Green Bay Packers signed Jordan Love to a four-year extension in 2024, but the franchise quarterback’s long-term contract outlook is already becoming a focal point for the offseason ahead. Love is under contract for three more years, and the Packers may need to return to the negotiating table sooner than some expect.

With a prohibitive 2028 cap hit looming and the quarterback market shifting after Patrick Mahomes’ renegotiated deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, the timeline for a new Love extension is starting to crystallize.

Why next offseason is the sweet spot

The Packers have historically preferred to negotiate extensions with one year remaining on a player’s deal. Quarterbacks, though, operate on a different timeline in Green Bay. During Aaron Rodgers’ era, the front office extended him with two years left on his contract to avoid handing the quarterback too much leverage ahead of a potential free agency threat.

That precedent points to next offseason as the realistic window for a new Love deal. The quarterback is slated to earn $51 million this upcoming season, followed by $43 million in 2027 and $45 million in 2028. Love and his representatives would reasonably prefer a higher salary over those final two years, which represent the prime of his career. He’ll only be 28 years old next offseason, making the math work for both sides.

The cap hit problem in 2028

Beyond Love’s desire for market-rate compensation, the Packers have their own financial incentive to act. Love’s cap hit in 2028 sits at $74.2 million, a figure that would severely limit the front office’s ability to build around their quarterback. By reaching a new extension, Green Bay would spread those numbers across additional years and keep the cap hit reasonably manageable for the foreseeable future.

This is a familiar play for the Packers. Restructuring and extending quarterback contracts before the cap burden becomes unworkable has been standard operating procedure in Green Bay for over a decade.

Where the quarterback market stands

The quarterback market has not inflated as dramatically as some anticipated since Love’s 2024 extension. Love’s deal came in at $55 million per year on average. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott quickly surpassed that figure at $60 million, but Prescott held the top spot for an extended stretch. That changed last week when the Chiefs renegotiated Mahomes’ contract, pushing his average annual value above $63 million.

Love and his camp have shown a preference for shorter-term deals, which allow him to return to the market sooner. A three-year extension layered on top of the two remaining years could represent a reasonable outcome. That structure could look like a $186 million deal over three new years at $62 million per year on average, slotting Love right behind Mahomes. Factoring in what Love is already set to earn in 2027 and 2028, the total value would reach $274 million over five years, or $54.8 million in average real money.

A deal the Packers should feel good about

Quarterback contracts can be tricky, but the Packers should feel confident about the deal they secured two years ago. Love’s extension gave the franchise stability at the position during a critical transition, and the market has not run away from them the way it sometimes does after a major quarterback signing cycle.

A new extension should be on the horizon for Green Bay’s franchise player. The cap math favors it, the market supports it, and the Packers’ own history of proactive quarterback negotiations suggests the front office will move before the leverage shifts.