Last year, it was impossible for the Green Bay Packers to know exactly what quarterback Jordan Love would become. So, instead of picking up his fifth-year option for 2024, the Packers and Love agreed to a one-year extension, paying Love more money upfront, but giving the team much more salary and cap flexibility.

A year later, it's clear that Love is a franchise quarterback, and the Packers are comfortable with him. Soon, it will be time to find a new deal to keep Love in Green Bay for years to come.

"We are really excited to build around him," said Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst. "Just the way he led our football team through the tough times, through the success, all the challenges that a season kind of brings you. For a young player in his first year that's trying to figure it all out, that was exceptional."

Even in his first year as a starter and replacing a legend in Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love grew through the season. His second half of the year was among the best in the league, and that helped the Packers to surprisingly reach the divisional round.

"He's got so much more in front of him. As good as he played at times this year, there's a very, very high upside," Gutekunst added. "I've always talked about how there's usually a progression there where you go from playing, to playing well, to winning. He did that in pretty short order in season 1. Very excited where he can go."

Contract

Now, it's not a matter of if Jordan Love will sign a long-term extension anymore, but when and for how much. The when seems easier to answer: It can't be done before May, twelve months after Love signed the previous deal, and it will probably get done before the next regular season begins. For how much, though, is a tougher question.

So, A to Z Sports talked to salary cap and contract specialists, trying to find out the range of Love's new contract with the Packers.

"My feeling is that he should come in somewhere between Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts," said Jason Fitzgerald, from Over The Cap. Murray signed a five-year, $230.5 million extension with the Arizona Cardinals, with a $46.1 million yearly average. Jalen Hurts' extension with the Philadelphia Eagles is a five-year, $255 million contract, $51 million per season.

"I don't think it's fair to lump him with Daniel Jones, as Jones had years of below average play, while Love simply didn't play," Fitzgerald added. "While he did not advance as far as Hurts, I think it's a similar story in that it's a one-season wonder at the moment with playoff success. Hurts turned that into the highest-paid quarterback for a few days."

Brad Spielberger, from PFF, thinks Jordan Love can get even more after a strong season — and also because Love is so young. The analyst projects a five-year deal, with a total salary in the range of $250 million to $260 million — which would mean $50 million to $52 million annually.

Other projections

The lowest realistic projection you will find among cap specialists comes from Spotrac. On its Market Value tool, the website projects a four-year, $179.44 million contract — $44 million per season, which the Packers would probably gladly take at this point.

According to Spotrac, the comparable players in terms of age, contract status, and production to find that value are two young elite passers, Josh Allen and Justin Herbert, but also players who are coming from short-term deals, like Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, which lowers his projection.

Ken Ingalls, an independent Packers cap analyst, also projects a shorter deal — a four-year extension on top of the one season Love still has on his current contract. It would be a $194 million deal, with a $48.5 million average per year. The deal would contain $57.5 million in signing bonus, with two guaranteed seasons and rolling guarantees for year 3.

What to look for

More than the total value itself, the structure of the deal will be highly important. A longer contract would mean more flexibility for the Packers, while a shorter contract would give Jordan Love more leverage in future negotiations. The guarantees (both total and future ones) are something to keep an eye on, just like the incentives — as Love still has only one season as the starter, the Packers will certainly add incentives to account for different scenarios in terms of performance.

Jordan Love will be the Packers quarterback for years to come. Soon, we will find out how much it will cost the team.

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