Jordan Love makes a decision about training camp attendance without a contract extension

Rookies, injured players, and selected quarterbacks report to training camp on Wednesday for the Green Bay Packers. Real practices begin only next Monday, but the first soft deadline for a Jordan Love contract extension is arriving.

That brought questions about if he would really attend camp. But not anymore. According to Packers beat writer Bill Huber, from Sports Illustrated , Love will be in Green Bay.

^{"Starting quarterback Jordan Love will be there, even without a contract extension, a source told Packers on SI.
The race is on for the Packers and Love to agree to an extension before training camp begins with the first full-squad practice on Monday. Whether Love would participate in a 'real practice' without an extension isn't known or hasn't been decided."}

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Earlier this offseason, general manager Brian Gutekunst said the intention from both sides was to get a deal done before training camp. Otherwise, it brings a risk element for Love and a tension element to the Packers as a consequence.

On Tuesday, Love led a youth football camp in Milwaukee. Reporters were told not to ask Love about training camp or negotiations, but they did. The PR team quickly ended the press conference, but Love smiled and said:

"News to come."

It might not mean anything, as he was just trying to avoid the topic in a public fashion. But at this point of the offseason, it might very well mean something too. Recently, Packers president Mark Murphy said the final stages of the negotiation are being handled by Russ Ball, Green Bay's executive vice president and director of football operations — that basically means it's more a question of structure than roster-building strategy or plan .

Love around

Jordan Love's decision to be in Green Bay for training camp doesn't come exactly as a surprise. He was with the team even during the voluntary part of the offseason program back in May.

"That's just something that I've always done, trying to be here, get the reps in, get the work in with the guys and just start building that chemistry and getting ready for the season," Love said during Packers OTAs. "That's always a part of it. Just showing up and the other guys will follow too. It's a testament to everybody wanting to be here, wanting to get that work in."

The Packers are watching how Love is handling everything, and that's an important component of their evaluation process.

"It's everything to us," head coach Matt LaFleur said at that time. "I always think when you look around the league, when your quarterback's there, it just naturally has a way of attracting everybody to come. We're still a very young football team, as well, so these guys, they want to put in the work. We've got a lot of guys that love the game and love the process of grinding together and going through some tough things together. But to have him here, you can't put a value on that."

Jordan Love is still under contract through 2024, thanks to a one-year extension he signed last offseason. However, it's highly unlikely that he will play a down under that deal — he's slated to make $11 million in 2024, with a $12.757 million cap hit.

Related: Why it's smart for the Packers to pay Jordan Love despite scary QB market