Told to Take $33M+ Hit, Jordan Love Admits Lack of No. 1 WR at Packers but Happy to Play Without It

The Green Bay Packers are bucking traditional NFL philosophy by moving away from having an elite No. 1 receiver as the focal point of their offense. Instead, they are embracing a more balanced “scoring by committee” approach – a calculated gamble that quarterback Jordan Love and head coach Matt LaFleur believe will pay dividends.

“I think you don’t have to have a No. 1 receiver,” Love stated bluntly to reporters last week. “I think it works out well when you can spread the ball out and you got different guys making different plays…it puts a lot more stress on the defense.”

Injuries last season forced Green Bay’s hand, but that trial-by-fire unlocked an offensive awakening. In one game it was Christian Watson going off for 4 TDs. Another was rookie Dontayvion Wicks channeling Randy Moss with a hat trick of scores.

“Now we’re at the level where we can change the plays at the line of scrimmage,” Love explained, showcasing the offense’s heightened chemistry and collective mastery. “They know the signals, so we can get to different plays if there’s not a perfect concept called.”

For LaFleur, it’s about embracing and unleashing that delicate offensive symphony. “All those guys had their moments where they were the leading receiver in a game,” the play-caller marveled. “The hardest part is we feel so good about them, it’s hard to get everybody the amount of touches that you’d like to, but that’s a good problem to have.”

The numbers backed up the scoring-by-committee approach, with four receivers topping 600 yards – a headache for defensive coordinators. However, there are other factors at play in the Love-Packers relationship.

The mega-extension gambit for Jordan Love!

Love is coming off a breakout season (3,921 yards, 32 TDs) that has him in line for a massive new contract. Reports suggest the Packers want to lock him up long-term before camp with a potential $50 million per year deal. But some, like former NFL exec Mike Tannenbaum, think Love should bet on himself this year and pursue a “Ben Simmons lottery ticket” deal over $60 million annually in 2025.

While this would mean he would have to continue with his $13.5 million contract for the year, leading him to missing on the probable $45-50 million new deal and getting a hit of over 33 million dollars, the QB will be well set for the next season demand based on his 2024 season.

It’s a high-stakes game that will decide if Green Bay’s commitment to a decentralized offensive approach was worthwhile. Because in today’s NFL, the price of a QB’s bright future comes with an eye-watering price tag. General Manager Brian Gutekunst’s stance is clear: “Both parties want to get a contract extension done. That stability at that position really allows you to have some security with the way we build our team.” 

With their unique “Scoring By Committee” blueprint already drawn up, keeping the architectural mastermind Love could make the Packers’ NFC penthouse view awfully enviable for years to come. Whether that plan sees Green Bay paying the ultimate price remains to be seen–but they’ve undoubtedly got big plans in this offensive revolution.