‘Tis the season of our discontent, football fans: the offseason. We have precious little to distract us from the doldrums of the year, especially now that the NHL and NBA playoffs have completed their rounds (I shed a single tear for my beloved Orlando Magic). If golf, tennis, or mid-season baseball just ain’t your thing, odds are you’re treating every scrap of NFL news like rare Belgian truffles. Feast away, my swine-like friends, for I come bearing gifts!

(Note to self: quit referring to readership as swine.)

The morsel is that up-and-coming star receiver Greg Jennings has extended his contract with the Green Bay Packers. According to John Clayton over at ESPN, the deal extends Jennings’ stay in Green Bay through the 2012 season. He will make $27 million with a chance to earn upwards of an additional $3 million in bonuses if he makes the Pro Bowl – a feat he will likely accomplish considering his gaudy numbers and a formidable supporting staff.

A few quick thoughts: 1) Aaron Rodgers has to be the 2nd most overjoyed Packer. His prime target, the one with the charming smile and impeccable receiving repertoire, is now his sidekick for at least the next four years. 2) The most overjoyed Packer has to be Jennings himself. He got this deal in before the impending Collective Bargaining Agreement crisis. Jennings wouldn’t have been able to apply for free agent status in 2010, the year the CBA is set to expire. He now locks in a solid contract and a massive upgrade from his rookie salary ($535K/year). 3) The Packers can now turn their attention to the contract of young, hard-hitting safety Nick Collins, who held out of voluntary minicamps as a symbolic protest against his current contract. Seeing how proactive management was in locking up Jennings should be a positive sign for Collins and those fans of his work in the secondary. 4) Finally, Jennings and Donald Driver are setting the standard for Green Bay wide receivers. They work hard on the field, put up great statistics, act as dependable teammates and likable personalities off the field, and earn their paychecks. Neither Driver nor Jennings have the histrionics of a Javon Walker (look what good his holdout did), and that will rub off on the young wideouts like James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Brett Swain.

The signing of Greg Jennings is an oasis in this off-season desert. Soon enough, my Green Bay compadres, it will be training camp. Then we can sink our teeth into something with substance. For now, we must be satisfied with this, and satisfied we shall be.