Jordan Love could bet on himself (again) and insist on the Dak Prescott extension

Most players want long-term security, but the way QB contracts are exploding, Love could try to hit the market again sooner to capitalize on rising prices.

The wise philosopher Fat Joe once wrote, “Yesterday's price is not today's price.”

That’s nearly literal in the quarterback market lately with Jared Goff inking a new deal with the Detroit Lions this week worth $53 million annually. He became the fifth ever QB to reach $50 million per year with each of those deals signed in the last year. The going rate for franchise passers has quickly climbed, as readers of The Leap already knew it would.

That means Jordan Love’s price keeps going up too. If he wanted to play the market and risk some medium-term security, he could maximize his earning potential by hitting the market sooner. And the Green Bay Packers may have to either acquiesce or pay up even more.

In 2020, Patrick Mahomes cashed in on a never-before-seen $450 million contract over 10 years. Since then, seven quarterbacks have topped his annual salary numbers, including the aforementioned group over the half-century mark. There’s even precedence, in a way, for Love’s short run of success leading to a major payday: The Philadelphia Eagles signing Jalen Hurts to a five-year, $255 million extension off of one season of high-level play. Hurts started multiple seasons before earning that deal, yet until he led the Eagles to a Super Bowl -- even as it was happening -- questions lingered in Philly about his worthiness as a franchise player.

And without addressing in full Love’s own stature as a franchise quarterback, remember Kyler Murray, Kirk Cousins, and Deshaun Watson all make more than Mahomes. This is how the quarterback market works. That said, Love put together a historic run to end the season, and history sets his baseline as a good quarterback.