7 Key Items on Brian Gutekunst and Packers Offseason To-Do List

Packers offseason to-do list: If Love is back, make a decision on his fifth-year option

Love is entering Year 4 of his rookie contract, and as a former first-round pick, he has a fifth-year option for the 2024 season that the Packers can either choose to pick up or decline, but the decision has to be made this offseason before Green Bay even gets the chance to see him as a full-time starter.

The fifth-year contract is 100% guaranteed for the player, and as a quarterback, Love’s 2024 option will be in the $20 million range. When speaking with reporters during the season, Brian Gutekunst did say that they’ve seen enough of Love in practice and on the field to make a decision–although he didn’t really hint at what that meant.

My guess is that if, in fact, Rodgers is traded and Love is the starter in 2023, Green Bay will give him the benefit of the doubt and pick up his option for the 2024 season. At that point, if he showed enough in 2023, they can begin extension talks next offseason. If not, it’s only a one-year commitment on the Packers’ part as they search for their next starting quarterback.

For the sake of conversation, let’s say Rodgers does return; then what do the Packers do with Love’s option? I think if they do want to keep him for the 2023 season instead of trading him, picking that option up as a showing of good faith will be a must.

Packers offseason to-do list: Extend Rashan Gary

Of the decisions that the Packers and Gutey have to make this offseason, this is going to be one of the easier ones. Gary has cemented himself as one of the best edge rushers in football, ranking third among all edge rushers in PFF’s pass rush productivity metric.

Speaking of fifth-year options, Gary’s was picked up for the 2023 season, which means he is on a one-year deal that comes with a cap hit of $10.89 million. An extension, however, will not only keep one of the game’s best players in Green Bay past 2023, but it will also help lower Gary’s cap hit this season, something the Packers very much need. Ken Ingalls, who independently tracks the Packers’ salary cap, projects that an extension could create $3 million or more in cap space this season.

Much like the Packers did with Jaire Alexander in 2022, who was also going to be playing on a fifth-year option, this is a deal that will get done this spring. As far as structure, I imagine Gary’s deal, although different in price, will look similar to that of Kenny Clark’s, with a low base salary and cap hit early on, as it then increases each season.