When the Green Bay Packers decided to extend quarterback Aaron Rodgers, it became clear that their plan didn’t involve 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love. Rodgers now has a five-year contract, three of which are reasonable; Love is under contract for only two more years. There is a fifth-year option available for 2024, but it’s unlikely the Packers will exercise it next offseason unless Rodgers decides to retire one year after re-signing.
But whether it’s lack of desire or offers, the Packers have kept Jordan Love, and he will be the backup quarterback for at least one more season.
“We’re excited about Jordan’s development,” Gutekunst told Mike Clemens of the Wisconsin Radio Network. “He’s going into his third year. He showed really good signs last year. I think his future is bright. As far as what his future is with us, we’ll kind of see how that goes. Obviously, with what we’ve done with Aaron and how long Aaron wants to play, that will factor in down the road. But we’re not making any of those decisions right now.”
The questions now are how long will Rodgers play? And will Love still be with the Packers to succeed him?
Rodgers has said he doesn’t have an exact timeline to stop playing. After extending his deal, he expects to retire as a member of the Green Bay Packers. But that may happen in one, two, three years — or more.
“If you say I’m for sure playing two more, three years, and then you have a magical season that ends with a championship and think that that might be the best way to ride off,” Rodgers said. “I don’t want to commit to something.”
You say, I’m only playing one more year, and you have a bitter taste in your mouth and still got the drive and the passion to play one or two more years. I just don’t want to get pigeonholed into it. So I’m focused on this season. I’m never gonna drag it out in the offseason. The conversations I’ve had with Brian [Gutekunst] have been very honest and direct, and that’s not going to change. We’ll sit down after the season, hopefully after a championship, and figure out what the next step is.
For now, the Packers should keep Jordan Love despite the relative lack of improvement in his game since they drafted him. This preseason will be an essential piece of evaluation, and if Rodgers retires next season or two years from now, Love will probably receive the first chance to be the heir.
If the Packers entertain the possibility of a trade before the 2022 regular season, it would only make sense if the capital they received allowed for real team improvement this year. Therefore, a trade for draft compensation would be basically out of the equation – unless a desperate team gives up too much, something like a first-round pick. To improve Rodgers’ chances of winning this year, the trade would have to involve players.
There are two factors the Packers have to consider to find possible targets. First, a team willing to acquire a young, developmental quarterback with an inexpensive contract and starter potential. Then, the team has to accept the idea of trading a valuable contributor right before the season.
Let’s use the Houston Texans as an example.
They have Davis Mills, presumably the starter. But it could be wise for them to add another young quarterback to compete, one with a significantly higher ceiling. The Texans recently re-signed wide receiver Brandin Cooks. He is the perfect target for the current version of the Packers while, at the same time, he’s too old for Houston’s rebuilding timeline.
Cooks will be 29 in September, and the Texans are his fourth NFL team. The receiver has a unique trajectory. The New Orleans Saints traded him to the New England Patriots. Then the Pats dealt him to the Los Angeles Rams, who traded him to the Texans. Every trade involved a lot of draft capital. For the Packers, the ability to acquire him without parting ways with future picks would be a good opportunity.
Cooks has six 1,000-yard seasons in eight years in the NFL, including his last two in Houston. He had 90 receptions, 1,037 yards, and six touchdowns last year despite playing with suboptimal quarterbacks.
Furthermore, Houston restructured Cooks’ contract to make his cap hit low in 2022. If acquired, his cap number for the Packers this season would be $2.47 million.
The Texans would have $23.5 million in dead money, with only $7.8 million hitting the cap this year.
Brandin Cooks is not the only potential target in a scenario where the Packers decide to trade Jordan Love. Wide receivers Tyler Lockett, KJ Hamler, Tyler Johnson, or even offensive tackle Jack Conklin could make sense – maybe with some extra draft compensation or adjusting the value. The main point is that if the Packers are open to trading Love, it has to bring back immediate value.
