Update on Adam Schefter could explain why the Packers didn’t sign Jordan Love

The wait for Jordan Love’s new contract with the Green Bay Packers continues.

There are five weeks left until the Packers return to training camp, when general manager Brian Gutekunst will be ready to negotiate a new contract. There is still plenty of time to finalize the terms, but it is surprising that the matter has dragged on so long.

The Packers had to wait until May to officially extend Love’s contract, but they had months to negotiate the terms before then.

New contracts for Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence have increased the quarterback market, with the Packers paying the price for not getting a contract extension sooner. And with Dak Prescott and Tua Tagovailoa expected to sign new deals soon, Gutekunst may want to get Love’s contract finalized sooner rather than later.

So what’s the reason for the delay? ESPN’s Adam Schefter provides some insight.

Trevor Lawrence’s new contract averages $55 million per year and is worth $275 million in total, putting him on a par with Joe Burrow for the league’s highest quarterback contract. Schefter believes Love wants a similar deal.

This puts the Packers in a difficult position. Love showed his superstar potential in the last eight games and the playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys, but is half a season at MVP level enough to become the highest-paid player in the NFL? That is the position the Packers find themselves in.

And Gutekunst doesn’t have much choice. Love’s current contract only has one year left, and while it would be best for him to sign a new deal now, there would be no shortage of interested teams if he became a free agent. The Packers would have to use the franchise tag to avoid losing him, creating a difficult situation like the one the Dallas Cowboys are going through with Prescott.

Forget that Love makes $50 million or less a year. If a deal is done soon, he’ll likely at least match Lawrence’s $55 million salary.

Love could soon be the highest-paid quarterback in football.

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