The big move that Green Bay Packers fans are expecting out of the team this offseason is a long-term extension for quarterback Jordan Love, who has earned that right after signing a one-year extension in a contract season last year. With only one real season of playing time under Love’s belt, some will debate how much he should or shouldn’t be owed, but many of those conversations won’t matter in the end.

Ultimately, starting quarterbacks have the Brink’s truck back up to them. Think about this: Earlier this offseason, the Atlanta Falcons agreed to pay quarterback Kirk Cousins, a 35-year-old coming off of an Achilles tear, $180 million over four years. Then they immediately went back to the well and used the eighth overall pick on Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the 2024 NFL Draft.

This is all to say: Love is going to get paid. A lot. The structure will be interesting, as the Packers do not guarantee salary beyond the first year of an extension, but outside of that, “Love Watch” seems to be more of a waiting game than a truly pivotal decision for the franchise — as we already know that the team is going to do the obvious.

With that being said, there is one major extension this offseason that is closer to a true fork in the road situation. On the Packers’ 2024 cap table, the number one cap hit on the squad this season is 29-year-old defensive tackle Kenny Clark, who carries a $27.5 million cap hit in a contract year. For perspective, Green Bay only has one other player — cornerback Jaire Alexander — who has a cap hit north of $14.4 million, roughly half of Clark’s 2024 number.

According to Over the Cap, Clark has a 2023 valuation of around $12.8 million per season, which essentially matched his cap hit last year — $12.9 million. Due to Clark essentially having his base salary turned into a signing bonus in every year of his contract extension with the addition of void years, though, the final year of his deal — 2024 — has led to the ballooned $27.5 million cap figure this season.

Even if the Packers let Clark play out this season, Clark will count $13.7 million against the team’s salary cap in 2025 — beyond his $27.5 million cap hit in 2024. And that’s with him hitting free agency. The Packers essentially have $41.2 million remaining to account for in cap dollars for Clark’s remaining lone season on his contract. You don’t have to be a cap guru to realize why the team might want to do something about that.

Green Bay has an interesting decision to make. Once inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell’s contract comes off of the Packers’ books on June 1st, the easiest way for the team to create cap space — either for a Love extension or to allow them to dabble in the veteran trade market — is to rework Clark’s contract to lower his cap hit, which likely means an extension for the former first-round pick.

Pay attention to what the Packers do with Clark’s deal this summer. Green Bay is going to pay Love. They are going to find a way to do that. Whether they can find common ground with Clark on an extension, though, will decide a lot about the 2024 Packers’ cap situation and the 2025 Packers’ offseason needs.