The Green Bay Packers just bet -- and it's a good bet -- they will have the longest stretch of security at the most important position in NFL history. By giving Jordan Love a four-year, $220 million extension to be their quarterback of the future, the Packers guaranteed three-and-a-half decades of stability at the most difficult position to secure in professional sports.
It's wild for a publicly owned franchise. It's even wilder when you consider how we got here. The Packers traded for Brett Favre after the Atlanta Falcons fell out of favor with their second-round pick, started him in 1992 and never looked back. Until Favre got old and they ticked him off by drafting Aaron Rodgers. Favre would end up with the Jets, Rodgers would start and it was clear he was the guy.
Yada, yada, yada, they ticked off Rodgers by trading up for Love, Rodgers would end up with the Jets and Love would start ... and it was clear he was the guy.
We all mocked the Love pick. Find someone who didn't and you'll find a liar. Rodgers was probably near the back end of his career at the time, but he got so mad about the trade up to take a quarterback, with Green Bay eschewing help for its current quarterback, that he launched into a second renaissance and won multiple spite MVPs.
To Rodgers credit, he at least mentored Love more than Favre mentored him. And he wasn't wrong with that personnel evaluation. Love has the look of a true future franchise quarterback.
Packers fans worried about the ups and downs. As they should have. At Utah State he was a boom-or-bust quarterback, a player who could grab a roster and drag them into a win against anyone when he completely locked in. He also could make some completely inexplicable throws in his college career.
All quarterback evaluations are difficult, but Love was a really tough one. He fell in the draft (like Rodgers, like Favre) until the Packers jumped up and grabbed him.
Throw him in the fire as a first-year quarterback and he probably doesn't end up here. But maybe Rodgers and Favre don't either. Love is now entrenched with everything you want if you're a would-be franchise quarterback.
He has the system in place with Matt LaFleur, a top five NFL coach and play-caller, who has proven his worth across multiple quarterbacks. He handled a Hall of Famer and he's developed a young stud behind him. That's bona fide.
The skill guys are really intriguing. Romeo Doubs blew up in the last playoff game. Dontayvion Wicks is getting Davante Adams comps (justifiably). Jayden Reed operates differently, but he's a modern weapon. The Packers just signed Josh Jacobs, who could explode in a feature role for LaFleur. Tucker Kraft is coming off an injury, but Green Bay has Luke Musgrave at tight end. Don't sleep on Bo Melton and Malik Heath!
Green Bay is essentially a feeder school for quarterback talent at this point. Ron Wolf started it, Ted Thompson kept it going and now Brian Gutekunst is the latest in line to sign a superstar quarterback to a monster contract.
Remember when Colts fans were called lucky for being gifted Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck? Peyton was 16 years old when this Packers quarterback dynasty started. Enjoy it while it lasts, Packers fans, unless it never ends.
