‘I was better than Trevor Lawrence’: Jordan Love’s words to Packers GM Brian Gutekunst, according to Louis Riddick amid contract extension rumors

The Green Bay Packers The quarterback’s contract situation is currently hard to ignore. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick has just turned up the heat with a sizzling interpretation of Jordan Love‘s contract negotiations. Riddick put himself in Love’s shoes and laid out to Packers GM Brian Gutekunst what he thought the young quarterback’s pitch should be.

When Riddick analyzed Love’s case on ESPN, he made it clear: “I’ll tell you what: If I were Jordan Love, I would go back to Brian and say, ‘Hey, look, I was better than Trevor Lawrence. I was better than Jared Goff.'” The numbers don’t lie – Love’s first full season as a starter was a highlight, finishing in the top 10 for QBR and securing second place in touchdown passes.

Love’s meteoric rise was faster than a Tyreek Hill 40-meter dash. In the shoes of a legend like Aaron Rodgers is no small feat, but Love has shown he can take on the best. As Riddick put it: “He was arguably the best quarterback in the NFL in the second half of the season.”

If you compare love with things like Trevor Lawrencethe comparison gets interesting. Lawrence, who just received a huge contract extension worth $275 million, had 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2023. Love’s 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions? That’s the kind of stat that makes GMs pull out their checkbooks.

Former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum didn’t mince his words on the Dan Patrick Show earlier this month: “If we were drafting NFL players, I think we’d agree to take Patrick Mahomes number one. I’ll take Jordan Love number two.” Big praise for the Packers’ young player, who the Green Bay Packers had to wait an eternity for.

The risky game about Jordan Love’s contract

Now it depends on how serious it is. The Packers are playing a dangerous financial game with their star quarterback. SI’s Bill Huber put it bluntly: “With each passing day, the contract extension awaiting Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love seems to be getting more expensive.”

Gutekunst’s cautious approach in the last offseason could end up costing the Packers a lot of money. As Huber points out, “However, if he had had the courage to give the franchise entirely to Love, he would have saved tens of millions of dollars.”

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk makes it even more exciting: He believes Love could become the NFL’s first $60 million man. That’s not just a bust, it’s a disaster. For comparison, Trevor Lawrence just tied Joe Burrow at $55 million per year. Love’s outstanding performance could push that number even higher.

Tannenbaum on the development of Love: “I think what we’ve seen with Trevor Lawrence is that he’s a good B-plus player, but we’ve seen Jordan Love show greatness in one year.” With a statement like that, one wonders when the Packers will be ready to bet everything on their new franchise QB.

The clock is ticking louder than the scoreboard at Lambeau Field in the fourth quarter. The Packers are trying to avoid another drawn-out saga like the one with Rodgers. As Love himself put it: “I think everyone is still hungry and can’t wait to get started.”

Ultimately, Love’s performance has turned this contract situation into the NFL’s version of “Show me the money!” Whether he’ll yell that phrase to the bank remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure – Jordan Love isn’t just playing football; he’s predictably changing the game.