Jordan Love’s ability to lead the NFL’s youngest team to the divisional playoffs in his first year as a starter has the Green Bay Packers looking to sign him to a long-term contract. After the Packers traded four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, Love extended his contract through 2024 and agreed to terms on a one-year extension.
Love could get another extension in May.”I think we’re going to go down that road,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said during Thursday’s postseason press conference. “I think it will be important for our football team to have some consistency here. “Jordan and his agency are really good people, so we’re going to start working on that in the next few months.”Gutekunst also said he expects 29-year-old Aaron Jones to return next season.
Jones restructured his contract a year ago and took a pay cut to stay with the Packers through the 2023 season.”He’s a very influential leader in our locker room.” Gutekunst said. “He’s really the heartbeat of our team. We’re definitely waiting for him to come back.”Love and Jones led the Packers to a surprising playoff run with the best record of the season.
Jones has rushed for at least 100 yards in each of Green Bay’s last five games. Love threw 21 touchdowns with one interception in nine games that ended in a 48-32 rout of the Cowboys at Dallas. Divisional round. “We’re very excited to be able to build around this,” Gutekunst said. Gutekunst also said he is not considering trading Jair Alexander, who was suspended for one game at the end of the season for being a detriment to the team. Gutekunst was cautious about the future of David Bakhtiari, who has played just one game this season because of a knee problem that required five separate surgeries.
The Packers got solid performances from rookies Rasheed Walker at left tackle and Zach Thome at right tackle. “Obviously David has had a very difficult time with the injury and is undergoing a very difficult surgery to be able to play again,” Gutekunst said. “We’ll continue to watch.
I know he’s doing the best he can, and once we get there and see how he does, we’ll make that decision.”The Packers are 10-9 this season with seven wins in their last 10 games. They should now enter this offseason with more flexibility, as salary cap restrictions have prevented them from doing much in free agency in recent years.”I think we’re in a better position than we were before,” Gutekunst said.
It’s by no means perfect, but any opportunity there is to improve the team in free agency, I think we can do that.”The Packers also have five picks in the first three rounds of the draft.Gutekunst spoke to reporters after the Packers announced they were hiring former Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley as defensive coordinator.
Gutekunst said he doesn’t expect the coordinator change to have much of an impact on the Packers’ decisions about which players are the best fit for the defense.”It’s going to be one thing … but it’s not going to be a total change. Look, we’ve got to get rid of (these people) and bring in new people. That’s not going to happen,” Gutekunst said. said.
I think digging into the nuances of what Jeff wants, especially with our current players, can start a conversation about where they play and how they fit. But I think that’s something we pride ourselves on on both sides of the ball, bringing in versatile, well-rounded players.”Hafley replaces Joe Barry, who was fired as defensive coordinator after three seasons.
Green Bay’s defense improved in the second half of the season after allowing 29.3 points per game in the first two games before Christmas.“I thought we played pretty consistent football in District 7,” Gutekunst said. “I don’t think we were as consistent defensively as we should have been and I’d like to see that. There may be pieces in motion next year. But it’s the same.
“I want a fast, physical, aggressive defense that makes plays,” he said.
