The Green Bay Packers quarterback contract situation is unmissable currently. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick just turned up the heat with a sizzling take on Jordan Love‘s contract negotiations. Riddick, putting himself in Love’s position laid out what he thinks should be the young QB’s pitch to Packers GM Brian Gutekunst.

Riddick, breaking down Love’s case on ESPN, laid it out plain as day: “I’ll tell you what, if I’m Jordan Love, I go back to Brian and I say, ‘Hey, look, I was better than Trevor Lawrence. I was better than Jared Goff.'” The numbers don’t lie – Love’s first full season as a starter was a highlight reel in the making. He landed in the top 10 for QBR and snagged second place in touchdown passes.

Love’s meteoric rise has been faster than a Tyreek Hill 40-yard dash. Stepping into the cleats of a legend like Aaron Rodgers is no small feat, but Love has shown he can sling it with the best of them. As Riddick put it, “He was arguably over the last half of the season, arguably the best quarterback in the NFL.”

When you stack Love up against the likes of Trevor Lawrence, the comparison gets interesting. Lawrence, fresh off a massive $275 million extension, posted 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2023. Love’s 32 touchdowns and 11 picks? That’s the kind of stat line that makes GMs reach for their checkbooks.

Former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum didn’t mince words on the Dan Patrick Show earlier this month: “If we were drafting NFL players, I think you and I would agree we take Patrick Mahomes number one. I’m taking Jordan Love number two.” High praise indeed for the Packers’ young gun who the Green Bay have put in an eternal wait.

The high-stakes game of Jordan Love’s contract

Now, here’s where the rubber meets the road. The Packers are playing a dangerous game of financial chicken with their star QB. Bill Huber of SI put it bluntly: “Seemingly with each passing day, the contract extension awaiting Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love will get more expensive.”

Gutekunst’s cautious approach last offseason might end up costing the Packers big time. As Huber points out, “Had he had the onions to fully hitch the franchise wagon to Love at the time, though, he would have saved tens of millions of real dollars.”

Adding intrigue to this Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio thinks Love could become the NFL’s first $60 million man. That’s not just breaking the bank; that’s demolishing it. For context, Trevor Lawrence just tied Joe Burrow at $55 million per year. Love’s stellar performance might just push that number even higher.

Tannenbaum, speaking about Love’s development: “I think what we’ve seen with Trevor Lawrence is he’s shown being good B plus, but we’ve seen Jordan Love in one year show greatness.” It’s the kind of statement that makes you wonder when the Packers will be ready to go all-in on their new franchise QB.

The clock is ticking louder than the Lambeau Field scoreboard in the fourth quarter. The Packers are trying to avoid another drawn-out saga like they had with Rodgers. As Love himself put it, “I think everyone’s still hungry and just excited to get rolling.”

In the end, Love’s performance has turned this contract situation into the NFL’s version of “Show me the money!” Whether he’ll be yelling that phrase to the bank remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure – Jordan Love isn’t just playing football; he’s expectedly changing the game.