QB Jordan Love won’t be practicing with Packers with contract situation unsettled

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Jordan Love won’t be practicing with the Green Bay Packers as long as the quarterback’s negotiations on a contract extension remain unresolved, general manager Brian Gutekunst said Monday.

Gutekunst said Love reported to camp last week but wouldn’t be working out until a deal is reached. Love’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

“We certainly understand where he’s coming from,” Gutekunst said before the Packers held their first training-camp session. “We’d like him to be out there. It’s important for him to be out there. Obviously you guys know how important practice is, and working with his teammates. But as of now, until we get that resolved, he will not be practicing.”

Gutekunst remained optimistic the Packers and Love could reach a deal soon. He noted that Love is participating in all other team activities.

“Yeah, I think so,” Gutekunst said. “Again, you never know. We’re working really hard to get that done. I think it’s really important for us. … The thing that I have confidence in is we both want the same thing.”

Love’s decision meant the Packers opened training camp with Sean Clifford and rookie seventh-round pick Michael Pratt as their only available quarterbacks.

“That’s part of our game and part of our business, but we’re confident that he’ll be out there sooner than later,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “I know how he prepares, so I’m not overly concerned about that. He’s going to do everything he can to get the mental reps. Obviously the physical reps are really what’s important.”

The Packers signed Love to a one-year extension in May 2023 that included $13.5 million in guaranteed money with another $9 million in incentives. That deal essentially gave the Packers time to evaluate Love as he entered his first season as a starter following the trade of four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets.

Love responded by surging down the stretch and leading the NFL’s youngest team to a 10-9 season that included an NFC divisional playoff appearance.

While the Packers and Love have tried working out an extension this offseason, other quarterbacks have signed lucrative deals. Detroit’s Jared Goff signed a four-year, $212 million extension with $170 million guaranteed and Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence agreed to a five-year, $275 million extension with $142 million guaranteed.

Love, 25, completed 64.2% of his passes for 4,159 yards with 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last year and improved dramatically as the season wore on.

He threw 21 touchdown passes with only one interception during a nine-game stretch that culminated with a 48-32 upset of the Dallas Cowboys in a wild-card playoff game. Love did throw two second-half interceptions the following week in a 24-21 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Gutekunst said he wasn’t thinking much this spring about the likelihood Love might sit out some practices but added that “if you get to a certain point, there’s a certain level of risk that a player takes by going out there, so you’re always aware that could happen.” Gutekunst praised Love for being “very open and forthright” throughout these negotiations.

“This is just part of it, not unexpected,” Gutekunst said. “We’ll work to get it done, and hopefully he won’t miss too much time. We’ve got a lot of work to do. We think we have a very good football team, but we’ve got to come together as a team, and he’s a big part of that. So him being out there is important for us. We’ll get there.”