Cory's Corner: Poise And Leadership Are Worth A Lot
Jordan Love is on the doorstep of getting paid. What he has in a lack of experience, he more than makes up for in leadership and a calm demeanor.
At first I was surprised when I saw what the Jaguars paid for Trevor Lawrence. I mean, giving $55 million to a guy that has been to the playoffs just once in three years is pretty steep.
Not to mention, that $55 million average salary is now tied with Joe Burrow as the richest player in the NFL.
So the ante keeps rising with quarterbacks. Now it’s Lawrence and Burrow at $55 million, then Jared Goff at $53 million, followed by Justin Herbert at $52.5 million and then Lamar Jackson at $52 million.
The obvious question should be, where is Patrick Mahomes in all this? He is tied for ninth with Kirk Cousins at $45 million.
Now all this evidence will eventually lead to Jordan Love. He has one season as a starting quarterback under his belt. Do the Packers give him a piecemeal contract now and risk upsetting him or do they back the Brinks truck up to his house now?
I have no doubt that the Packers and Love want this deal done by the start of training camp on July 22.
And the reason is simple. If you don’t have a very good quarterback, you don’t have a chance of going deep into the playoffs. And if you think you have that guy, you don’t have a choice but to pay him.
So you can think that the Packers are stuck. But really, they aren’t. Both Green Bay and Love know that he’s going to get paid. The question is when will the Packers be confident enough to sign that check?
Making a long-term investment based on the short term is a huge gamble. But the Packers and the rest of the NFL were very impressed with Green Bay going 6-2 down the stretch as Love threw 18 touchdown passes to just one pick.
That momentum continued in the playoffs. The Cowboys were 7-point favorites in the Wild Card Round. Love was nearly flawless on the road as he completed over 76 percent of his passes, threw for 272 yards with three touchdowns and a passer rating of 157.2.
Love, 25, is clearly on a magical ride that nobody has ever predicted. I still don’t know what kind of quarterback he can become. Will he project to be the cerebral quarterback like Aaron Rodgers or the spirited gunslinger like Brett Favre? I can remember so many Bears, Lions and Vikings fans chuckling last offseason about how much praise Love received for his poise.
Well, the joke ultimately turned out to be on them. Love’s poise and leadership are light years beyond his age. And for all the adversity last year about the Rodgers’ saga, Love handled it beautifully.
That’s the guy that you want playing the most important position in all of sports. And that’s why the Packers shouldn’t nickel and dime him.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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Comments (36)
Johnblood27
June 15, 2024 at 06:27 am
nickle and dime?
50 million plus?
Mahomes at 45 million?
I can't help but feel that the 50 million level is still too steep for a guy with one year playing experience.
I believe in Jordan Love, I always have. I liked the pick when it was made and I have had faith in his development. I am elated that he is the QB of the GBP. That said, he still has development hurdles in front of him.
I would like to see him take a 5 year contract with an escalating pay scale and maybe 150 million guaranteed.
Giving him what he is worth is different than giving him what he MIGHT be worth.
How about a little consideration for the team that has paid him millions for his 3 years of training with no performance expectations?
ricky
June 15, 2024 at 08:38 am
Either the Packers take the dive, and the risk, or another team will happily do so. Are the QB costs getting out of hand? Undoubtedly. As are WR's, now that Jefferson has set a new bar that Tyreek Hill already wants to pass. That is what happens when the salary cap goes up. And as far as Love somehow "owes the team for developing him", sorry. The Packers made an investment, and they wouldn't hesitate about cutting Love, or trading him for something if he hadn't panned out. Both sides did what they were supposed to do: the Packers to develop a raw talent; that raw talent to learn and develop and become a starter. They both fulfilled that part of the contract. Both sides understand this is a business, and the company will need to reward those who perform better, and improve the company's bottom line.
How to solve the problem of this salary cap problem? I heard an idea from ESPN that might be worth considering. What if there were separate salary caps for QB's and the rest of the team? There are some obvious problems as to how the money should be divided, and undoubtedly there would be a scramble to increase the paychecks for the "skill positions". But it's becoming increasingly clear that something needs to be done.
GregC
June 15, 2024 at 10:53 am
I don't understand why people think that high salaries for QBs (or WRs or whatever) are a "problem." It's a market system. Players are worth whatever the highest bidder is willing to pay them. The fact that QBs are so highly paid actually does reflect how valuable they are. The days are long gone when an NFL team is built around a running back. That was never done very often anyway because running backs have always had much shorter careers, on average, than quarterbacks.
Also, because there is a salary cap, every team has the same amount of money to spend however they see fit. The Packers are free to let Jordan Love walk and build their team around a mediocre QB if they choose to do so. There are some commenters on this site who would rather see the Packers go that route. Yet there are no NFL franchises who seem willing to do that. Even the Bears are seeking out high dollar QBs now. As they should. They did make it to the Super Bowl with Rex Grossman awhile back, but that was a fluke, and if they had a better QB they might have won that game.
The only "problem" I see here is that fans hate to see people making so much money. It doesn't seem fair to the rest of us. And yet we are the ones who pay money to attend games, watch games on TV, and visit web sites that are devoted to football. We are funding all of these high salaries. Personally, I don't have a problem with any of it, even if the dollar amounts seem ridiculous sometimes. I'm not going to stop watching football, at least not anytime soon.
Bitternotsour
June 16, 2024 at 08:57 am
Thank you. The quarterback is the star of the most popular tv show on the planet. He's a marketing tool, a shirt salesman, he is an entertainer.
things cost what they cost.
jont
June 17, 2024 at 12:43 pm
None of us like to look at it this way, but this is right. At the end of the day he's not paid to throw a ball, he's paid to be a big name in a very big entertainment product. Yes, read a defense, hit the open man, and all that-- but there's no money in that. There is money is a hundred million people tuning in week after week.
Bitternotsour
June 17, 2024 at 03:03 pm
Kylian Mbappe is about to make $164M a year to play for Real Madrid. Things cost what they cost.
Bure9620
June 15, 2024 at 09:20 pm
The 10 game stretch is something Lawrence has never accomplished. I am much more comfortable paying Love north of $55 Million than most other young QBs. He is better than Lawrence or Tua a d I would put him ahead of Hurts now too.
NickPerry
June 15, 2024 at 07:10 am
"If you don’t have a very good quarterback, you don’t have a chance of going deep into the playoffs. And if you think you have that guy, you don’t have a choice but to pay him."
The amount of money QBs are getting paid is absurd, offensive even, but it's the price of doing business in the NFL. I don't envy the position Gutey and Ball are in right now. With each QB who signs a new contract, the price keeps going up. Goff at $53 million. Lawrence at $55 million. I mean will Love REALLY want $60 million? Can the Packers really entertain the idea of paying Love $55 to $60 million? IMO, Goff, Lawrence, and Love AREN'T worth that kind of money but what in the hell are they to do? You pay him and then he's closer to the first 9 games than the last 9 games and the Packers are stuck. If Love really is the QB we saw at the end of last season then $60 million is a DEAL in 2 or 3 years.
Hopefully this is done SOON. With each million tacked on to Loves deal it's leaving LESS for the guys like Reed, Wicks, Doubs, Watson, Musgrave, and/or Kraft. Even though I don't think Love has shown nearly enough for a contract like that, neither has Lawrence or Goff. It's just the price of doing business.
stockholder
June 15, 2024 at 11:53 am
Joe Gibbs-? 3 different QBs - 3 SB wins.
LLCHESTY
June 15, 2024 at 03:24 pm
Different era. How'd he do in his 2nd coaching stint?
GBjohnny
June 15, 2024 at 12:17 pm
Good post NP,
I agree that the salaries are absurd but that's what the market is, so somebody is bound to pay it. Crying about it will not change that fact. I also agree that whatever we sign him for now is going to be "a deal" down the road.
Concerning his limited time as a starter, I think we can all agree he not going tobe a total bust. Look at the teams paying crazy amounts to average qb"s. It"s a nuts amount of money to be sure.
Now, if he does what everyone hopes and continues on this trajectory, we got a super deal even at these crazy prices.
One thing I think is not talked about enough is the fact DC"s now have tape on JL So let"s say he get"s his 50-60 million, let's not go crazy as he adjusts to that and start screaming BUST!!!
Lastly, "hometown discounts" are a pipe dream in this scenario. Leave those for aging veterans looking for one last paycheck. JL is going to get paid. Whether or not he deserves it is still to be determined.
mrtundra
June 15, 2024 at 08:31 am
"I can remember so many Bears, Lions and Vikings fans chuckling last offseason about how much praise Love received for his poise." I think that Packers' fans will be the ones doing the laughing, soon enough. The vikings just put Sam Darnold on the roster as their starting QB for training camp. Their QB Draftee, JJ McCarthy, may hold out because he wants all his bonus money up front--which is something the vikings have never done. Jared Goff is a so-so QB, but Jordan Love will surpass him, if he already hasn't, very soon. Based on last season's performances, who would you rather have as a QB, Goff or Love? I'll take Love, every time. Caleb Williams is a QB on a team where QBs go to die. I think the Bears had better start scouting for their next starting QB, right now. I'm hoping Justin Fields flourishes on the Steelers, just so Bears fans ask themselves why they let Fields go.
Ferrari-Driver
June 15, 2024 at 09:36 am
Cory quote: That’s the guy that you want playing the most important position in all of sports. And that’s why the Packers shouldn’t nickel and dime him.
Probably every guy on this website is just like me and worked hard to make a few bucks. I have a mighty hard time wrapping my mind around paying a guy 50 million bucks to play a game we all love and played for fun when we were kids and hearing someone warning me not to nickel and dime him. If only I had been born with more talent....
Johnblood27
June 15, 2024 at 07:47 pm
I bet Love can't drive worth a shit...
However... HE can afford a driver!
Packman60
June 15, 2024 at 09:36 am
In the NFL, contracts are all about what you can do for me in the future. It's betting on the perceived performance potential. Love's performance over the last half of the year including playoffs has shown he has the potential to be a top 5 QB. I expect the Packers will give him a contract very similar to the one Lawerence just received and if I'm G.B. , they should feel better about giving Love that contract than Jacksonville does tn giving Lawerence his deal.
NFLfan
June 15, 2024 at 09:41 am
According to Rapoport and friends, Jordan will be paid soon (before the price increases-lol) and his salary will be in the Joe Burrow range--$52M. Dak P is looking at the $60M range-SMH
My 2 cents: GB is lucky to have 5-6 excellent, inexpensive WR's. I do not not like this trend, though. Football is a team effort and I don't think RB's should be devalued while WRs are over-valued. These off-balance salaries can't be good for morale in the long-run and they compromise the team.
LambeauPlain
June 15, 2024 at 11:16 am
Will Love have the cerebral arrogance of Rodgers, or the ironman gunslinger personna of Favre?
Wrong either or, Cory.
So far, Jordan Love seems more in line with Bart Starr...a quiet leader by example. Humble and hard working. Displays solid character because it is genuine. Deeply respected by his teammates because he treats them the same way.
Leatherhead
June 15, 2024 at 11:26 am
Leadership and poise are critical in a QB, or else your seasons end with bad interceptions under pressure. He’s had his mulligan.
dblbogey
June 15, 2024 at 03:47 pm
Or missed field goals and extra points.
Leatherhead
June 15, 2024 at 04:00 pm
And yet, despite those things which happen all the time, we had the ball, time on the clock, and a chance to win. Purdy got the job done. Love threw a bad pick. Which QB showed poise and leadership in the clutch?
Johnblood27
June 15, 2024 at 07:49 pm
LH, you are the hammer, please meet Mr Nail...
cdoemel
June 16, 2024 at 12:31 am
Ok, so LH is a Love hater. Good to know.
Leatherhead
June 16, 2024 at 07:12 am
That’s a lie, and you are full of shit
cdoemel
June 17, 2024 at 12:54 am
Hahahahaha
Leatherhead
June 17, 2024 at 05:32 pm
Yes, saying untrue things about posters is funny. Cdoemel is a child molester. Hahahahah😆😆😆😆😆😁
Bitternotsour
June 17, 2024 at 05:54 pm
well, that got out of hand quickly
13TimeChamps
June 17, 2024 at 06:11 pm
You truly are an embarrassment. You really are.
Feel free to come back with your juvenile "Princess" name calling and past comments about my wife. It's who you are. She would be happy to have you make those comments to her/our face. But, of course, that will never happen.
Leatherhead
June 17, 2024 at 09:57 pm
You’re a virtue signaling piece of shit who thinks the reason for this site is so you can make comments about other posters, you’re clearly obsessed with me, and you are so lacking in self awareness that you don’t see why Princess is the perfect name for you.
13TimeChamps
June 17, 2024 at 10:51 pm
Comments about other posters like "you are full of shit" and "child molester" and "signaling piece of shit". Or anyone who "disagrees with me is stupid".
Those are your comments, not mine. The only one obsessed with you is you. Try and stay focused on football, not ridiculing other posters who dare disagree with you.
But you're right about one thing. I don't like you. I don't like cowards who hide behind their computers while calling other posters names.
The offer still stands by the way.
stockholder
June 15, 2024 at 12:03 pm
Cory to pay a QB because he is a good leader
is not enough!
The other ingredients to big bucks -
1.Accuracy
2. Vision.
3. Arm strength
4. Pocket Presence
Dan Marino?
Fran Tarkenton?
13TimeChamps
June 15, 2024 at 12:23 pm
"The other ingredients to big bucks -"
1.Accuracy...check
2. Vision....check
3. Arm strength...check
4. Pocket Presence...check
So you've finally gotten on the Love train. Welcome aboard. Better late than never.
Johnblood27
June 15, 2024 at 07:51 pm
laying gifts before the babe in the manger...
then realizing that you are NOT in Jerusalem!
extra credit for explaining what myrrh is???
egbertsouse
June 16, 2024 at 06:57 am
It’s a balm. Or a bomb. One of those two. Extra credit for naming the movie I stole that from .
Johnblood27
June 17, 2024 at 07:44 am
History of the World, Part 1?
Johnblood27
June 18, 2024 at 07:49 am
Maybe Caddyshack...
jont
June 17, 2024 at 12:50 pm
Life of Brian?