In a season full of surprises and emerging stars, no feel-good story has been written quicker than the rise of Jordan Love. The 25-year-old quarterback was looking painfully mediocre through his first eight weeks of the season, with the Green Bay Packers tumbling their way to a second straight losing campaign. Now, they are playing for a spot in the NFC Championship, and Love is looking to solidify himself as an undeniable star.

Many believe he has already ascended to that status after a torrid last two months, culminating with a sensational NFL playoffs debut on the road versus the Dallas Cowboys. With such a meteoric emergence, comes new contract negotiations.

“The Packers and Love are expected to address this [contract situation] this upcoming spring,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Saturday, hours before Green Bay battles the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round. “Do not be surprised if he does get that massive franchise quarterback type contract extension. And the further he goes in the playoffs, the richer he is going to be.”

Packers' Jordan Love is playing himself into a whole new tax bracket

Love, who was controversially selected as the No. 26 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, signed a one-year extension worth $22.5 million last offseason before assuming starting QB duties. It will be tough for the organization to delay the inevitable, which will force it to roll out the Brink's truck for the young signal-caller.

Despite losing multiple pass-catching weapons at different points throughout the year, Jordan Love finished the regular season with 4,159 passing yards, 32 touchdowns (second most in NFL) and just 11 interceptions. He then torched Dallas for 272 yards and three touchdowns on a 76.2 completion percentage last Sunday.

A repeat performance against the imposing 49ers is difficult to fathom, but either way, the Packers have once again found their successor for a Hall of Fame quarterback. And their payroll will soon reflect that.