One of the most promising young players in the NFL has yet to take to the practice field even as training camp begins.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love is seeking a lucrative long-term contract extension and will not practice with the team at the start of training camp, general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters on Monday.
Love, 25, is currently scheduled to play this season on a one-year contract worth up to $22.5 million.
Gutekunst said he believes a deal between the two sides is “close,” adding that Love is still with Green Bay.
The 2020 first-round draft pick was impressive in his first season at the helm after sitting behind Aaron Rodgers for three years.
Love rushed for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns last season with just 11 interceptions.
He was especially outstanding in the second half of the season, ranking second among all quarterbacks in expected points added per play during that span.
Buoyed by Love’s stellar performance, the Packers reached the playoffs, defeating the second-seeded Dallas Cowboys in the wild-card round before facing the eventual NFC champions, the San Francisco 49ers, in the divisional round.
Love has only played in 27 games so far, starting 18 of them, but he will likely end up being one of the highest-paid players in NFL history, making more than $53 million per year.
Earlier this offseason, quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence (five years, $275 million) and Jared Goff (four years, $212 million) each surpassed that threshold with mega-contract deals that made them the top three-paid players in football.
In a way, the Packers are competing not only to bring Love back, but also to sign the quarterback on a cheaper deal than other gunslingers.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Cowboys star Dak Prescott are also eagerly awaiting deals, and whichever player signs most recently would theoretically have the most leverage with the goal of resetting the market.
Gutekunst and Green Bay opened their defensive checkbook over the weekend, signing standout defensive tackle Kenny Clark to a three-year, $64 million contract extension.
The Packers officially open camp on Monday and open their preseason on Aug. 10 against the Cleveland Browns.
