Green Bay Packers fans should be having a great start to their week. According to GM Brian Gutekunst himself at the NFL’s annual meetings, the organization has begun contract extension talks with quarterback Jordan Love. Gutekunst had this to say to the media early Monday about the talks:

“Certainly the sooner the better, but at the same time, I think we wanna make sure we do it the right way. We’ve started, but it’s not something that’s gonna go quickly, I don’t think.”

This was always going to be the move after what Love did in just his first season as a full-time starter. The former first-round pick finished top-10 in nearly every major passing category in 2023. He threw for 32 touchdowns (2nd) and 4,159 yards (7th). Additionally, he had 372 completions (8th), a QBR of 62.1 (9th), and a passer rating of 96.1 (9th). After starting the season 3-6, Love and the Packers got hot. They finished with a record of 9-8 and made it to within 15 minutes of an NFC Championship Game berth. The former Utah State star had a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 23-3 over the final 12 weeks of the season, including playoffs.

It is safe to say his time spent studying the greatness of franchise legend Aaron Rodgers has paid off, at least after his first season. Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur both know what this team has in their franchise quarterback. He is entering his prime and has the Packers ready to contend for a Super Bowl.

As Gutekunst said, look for these talks to take time. But in the end, Love should be a Packer for a long, long time.