Green Bay Packers: $230 Million Deal On Its Way To Green Bay

The Green Bay Packers are sitting at 3-6 on the year and, at this point, are looking for as many positives to take away from the 2023 season as possible.  While many figured there would be growing pains with the 2023 Packers, not many envisioned a 3-6 record and an offense that doesn’t even average 20 points a game.

The lackluster offense has speculated that change may be on the way after just one full season with Jordan Love.  One of those speculations involve a former NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year Heading To Green Bay.

The Green Bay Packers Land Former NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year And 2x Pro Bowler Kyler Murray From The Arizona Cardinals In Interesting Scenario

Christopher Kline of Fansided proposed an interesting scenario where Kyler Murray is a member of the Packers in 2024:

Kyler Murray made his long-awaited return to action in Week 10 and, lo and behold, the Arizona Cardinals won a football game. It’s a little early to start up the parade floats, but Murray was a No. 1 pick with two well-deserved Pro Bowl appearances prior to his injury. The 2022 season was rough around the edges — 3-8 record under center — but even in a “bad” season, Murray completed 66.4 percent of his passes, threw for 2,368 yards in 11 weeks, and scored 17 total touchdowns.

There’s a high ceiling with Murray. His contract will be a difficult pill to swallow for any curious trade candidates, but he signed a $230.5 million deal for a reason. There was a point in time, not long ago, that Murray deserved such a number. If he can cut back on the turnover problems (eight fumbles, seven interceptions in 2022) and get back to his high standard as a dual-threat points machine, it will be difficult for the Packers to not consider him an upgrade over Love.

Teams will be watching the Cardinals closely the rest of the way. At 2-8, there’s essentially no way out of purgatory for Arizona, but there is a chance for Murray to rehab his trade value. The Cardinals are destined for a proper rebuild and Murray is no doubt eager to prove that he can still perform at a high level.

Green Bay could, in theory, acquire Murray for a discount price given the burdensome nature of his contract. That, combined with a steady arm and upside as a runner, could be enough to pique the interest of an offensive mind like Matt LaFleur and the Packers’ front office.

There is undeniable risk here, but also the chance for a decent reward — the kind of reward that results in postseason victories.

Would The Packers Move On From Jordan Love After One Full Season Under Center?

The Packers drafted Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft (26th overall).   When Aaron Rodgers announced his intention to play for the Jets in 2023, the Packers traded him to New York in exchange for draft picks. A month after the trade, Love signed an incentive-laden one-year contract extension worth $22.5 million, making him the starting quarterback for the 2023 season.

Winning a Super Bowl may have not been at the top of the Packers’ expectations in their first year with Love, but they certainly wanted to see enough to commit to Love beyond 2023.  I would be surprised if they gave up on Love after just one season.  Additionally, the Packers invested in numerous young weapons to surround Love with.