‘Show me the greens’ drama? The Green Bay Packers have been there, done that – and learned some tough lessons along the way. After the prolonged saga surrounding Aaron Rodgers‘ extensions years back, which ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler described as a situation where they “decided to pause most business,” the franchise is determined to handle Jordan Love’s deal with a “cleaner” approach.

The sense of urgency is palpable, driven by the fear of the price tag becoming “exponentially higher” if they don’t lock him down soon, as NFL insider Mike Garofolo warned on The Rich Eisen Show today.

With young guns like Trevor Lawrence (5-year, $275M with $200M guaranteed) and Joe Burrow (5-year, $275M with $219M guaranteed) resetting the quarterback market, signing Love before training camp could save the Packers a hefty chunk of change – a scenario GM Brian Gutekunst seems keen to avoid going “mission: impossible” over.

Love’s breakout 2023 campaign was nothing short of a money-grabbing performance. The 25-year-old finished as the runner-up in touchdown passes (32 TDs) while throwing for 4,159 yards and leading the Pack to the divisional round, silencing doubters with his “making of a franchise QB” upside, as Garofolo put it. This rapid ascent has Green Bay wary of a potential “Moneyball” situation where delaying could mean paying “that big number” and having Love join the NFL’s highest-paid “club.”

Yet, Love is redefining what it means to be an elite signal-caller in today’s “scoring by committee” NFL. “I think you don’t have to have a No. 1 receiver,” he boldly stated after a season where four Green Bay wideouts topped 600 yards, thriving without a true “alpha dog” by spreading the wealth and keeping defenses on their toes, much to head coach Matt LaFleur’s delight at having “all those guys” step up as the lead man.

Jordan Love’s “Straight Outta Compton” gambit

Love’s mastery at the line of scrimmage, changing plays with simple “signals” to unlock the offense’s full potential, showcased a young QB firmly in his “Dazed and Confused” bag over the final 10 games (2,616 yards, 23 TDs, 3 INTs, 112.1 rating). His ability to orchestrate this balanced attack has some, like former NFL exec Mike Tannenbaum, suggesting he could pursue a “Space Jam” level payday by betting on himself for over $60 million per year in 2025.

It’s a “Back to the Future” scenario that would see Love absorb a $33 million “hit” by passing on a potential $50 million extension now. But as daring as that “No Guts, No Glory” gambit sounds, the Packers have learned from past dramas – they want “stability at that position,” as Gutekunst bluntly stated, to “have some security with the way we build our team.”

Securing an All-Pro talent like Love at a relative discount could prove to be Green Bay’s shrewdest “Moneyball” move yet. An unconventional conductor commanding an offensive “Revolution?” In Titletown, that’s the kind of “Sweet Caroline” tune every cheesehead dreams of.