Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst spoke specifically about the futures of Aaron Jones and Jaire Alexander quarterback Jordan Love on Thursday.He said less about left tackle David Bakhtiari, which could have been the defining comment.
Here’s what he said at the end-of-season press conference:Jordan Love: Contract extensionTime doesn’t count when love extends its contract. He is under contract through the 2024 season, and the team could buy time in 2025 with the franchise tag. This will not happen. Love officially signed a one-year contract extension on May 3 last year.
That means he’ll be eligible for a long-term extension in about three months, on May 3, 2024 to be exact. “I think we’re moving in that direction.” Gutekunst said. “Of course, I think it’s important to have stability in our football team. “We will be working on this in the coming months because Jordan and his agency are very good people.”The love along the way was touching. Over the final eight games of the regular season, Love had seven games with a passer rating of over 100 and a total of 18 interceptions. barrier.
He then posted the highest passer rating in a playoff game in NFL history during a win at Dallas. His base salary in 2024 is $10.5 million.”Jordan was really good towards the end of the season, especially in the second half, and we’re really excited to build around him,” Gutekunst said. Jair Alexander: Not for saleAfter an injury-plagued season and a one-game suspension from Carolina, where he named himself a team captain, Gutekunst made it clear that Alexander will return as the team’s No. 1 quarterback.
When asked if he would consider trading the two-time All-Pro, Gutekunst said, “No.” After playing in Minnesota, Alexander returned to Chicago in Week 18 and was knocked out of the playoffs against Dallas and San Francisco with a wrist injury.”These are tough, tough jobs,” Gutekunst said of the suspensions. “But in the end we were all able to recover and I’m proud of the way Jair reacted to it. I think that will help us move forward.”
Aaron Jones: BackJones’ base salary is $11.1 million, with a 2024 cap hit of just over $17 million. That’s a lot of money for a running back who turns 30 in December and has been injured most of the season. But the Packers’ season started with Jones hitting his stride. He finished the regular season with three straight 100-plus games, then added a few more in the playoffs. This was the longest streak of 100-yard games in a season in franchise history.
Jones took a pay cut through 2023. He also could re-sign and play in 2024. “We want Aaron back,” Gutekunst said. “We’re still putting this all together as best we can. But when he was there this year, he changed a lot of things about the way our offense operates, the way we operate when he’s there and when he’s healthy.“I think it’s a way to get him out there and keep him healthy.
Not just on the field, but as you know, he’s a very influential leader in our locker room. He is truly the heartbeat of our team. “I’m definitely waiting for him to come back.”David Bakhtiari: Maybe yes, maybe not.Gutekunst’s one-sided comments about Love, Alexander and Jones were in stark contrast to what he said about Bakhtiari, a 32-year-old former All-Pro whose career was halted by a knee injury on 31 December 2020.
Bakhtiar played in one game in 2021, 11 games in 2022 and 1 game in 2023. He will undergo five surgeries to not only get back on the field, but to get back in top shape. “We’re in the early stages of looking at how we move forward with this,” Gutekunst said. “David has obviously had a very difficult time with the injury and is undergoing very serious surgery to be able to play again.
We will monitor this and I understand his concerns. Once we get out there and make sure he’s healthy, we’ll make that decision.Bakhtiyar is entering the final season of his contract. With a base salary of $20.2 million, his 2024 cap hit is $40.02 million. If the Packers release him, he would take about $21 million off the cap, according to OverTheCap.com.
