If we see McCaffrey suffer injuries over the next two years or if he simply fails to live up to the terms of his deal over the course next two years, the Panthers could be facing a very similar fate to the Rams in terms of being facing a large amount of dead cap space down the line. Freeman signed his five-year, $41.25 million extension in 2017, with $18.3 in guarantees. McCaffrey, 24, emerged as one of the NFL’s most feared dual threats in 2019, tallying 116 receptions out of the backfield and 19 total touchdowns. The countdown has officially started. To some extent, that deal was structured smarter by the Jets than this one has been by the Panthers. Given the similarities between the two deals, Elliott and McCaffrey and going to be regularly compared over the next two or three years. The Carolina Panthers have agreed to a four-year, $64 million extension with star running back Christian McCaffrey, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. " As you can see from the contract above, the Panthers’ first realistic way out of the contract comes after the 2022 season. “Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey signed a four-year extension, $16 million a year.” The report came from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, detailing a blockbuster contract extension … The Jets' Le'Veon Bell is close behind at $14.1 million per year. Schefter reports McCaffrey received a four-year deal worth $64 million, making him the highest-paid RB in NFL history. While that prevents a potential $23 million cap hit this season, it does leave the Rams carrying a dead cap of over $15 million this year, and still another $8.4 million next season. Star running back Christian McCaffrey is staying with the Panthers long term. It expands the offense, it makes it easier to call plays, because you can really get creative with the different mismatches you can present on the field.”. Less than 12 months later the Jets are already looking at whether moving on from the deal is feasible, with Bell’s name having been regularly seen among trade rumors. That means the Jets can cut Bell after the upcoming season for just $4 million in dead cap space, saving $24.5 million of the initial $52.5 million in the deal. The clause in 2020 essentially ensures the extension will keep McCaffrey on the team for the first three of the six seasons the deal covers. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File), NFL PLAYERS FACE MAJOR FINES FOR VIOLATING CORONAVIRUS PROTOCOLS. The Panthers are signing running back Christian McCaffrey to a four-year contract extension that averages $16 million per year. This discussion about running back contracts has never been more prevalent than in the last 12 months. For me, nothing really changes, and I think that’s the best advice. How is the 2020 contract extension for Christian McCaffrey structured, and how does it compare to the other top running back contracts signed in the past five years? Fantasy Football Start/Sit Week 6: Can Beckham bounce back? All market data delayed 20 minutes. With a record contract in hand, McCaffrey said the best advice he’s received is to stay humble and focused on the mentality that originally led him to success. © 2020 ABG-SI LLC. McCaffrey trailed only Michael Thomas in receptions in 2019, was sixth in catch percentage among players with more than 50 targets, and sixth in yards after the catch per reception. And to Panthers fans, KEEP POUNDING!". He was just the third player in NFL history with both 1,000 rushing and receiving yards while also scoring 19 touchdowns. "I think Christian McCaffrey is a centerpiece player that you can build around," Rhule said. He led the league in yards from scrimmage and combined rushing and receiving touchdowns while ranking second in yards per touch among players with more than 200 touches. In the end, he did not miss a single game as his perseverance was rewarded with a six-year, $90 million contract extension. Star running back Christian McCaffrey is staying with the Panthers long term. Tuesday Night Football Tonight, Week 5: How to Watch, Channel, Live Stream, Preview, and Predictions, Updated 2021 NFL Draft Order and Tiebreaking Procedures. The Philadelphia Eagles could look to trade up for a wide receiver. One of those deals was signed in free agency, Le’Veon Bell, with two of them being contract extensions, Ezekiel Elliott and David Johnson. Elliott held out through offseason workouts to a point where there was serious talk that he might miss regular-season games. It would also cost the team over $20 million in dead cap space to cut him after the 2021 season. To some extent, it is unfair to judge these deals without the context of the injuries that both backs have dealt with since signing them. McCaffrey confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter that he signed an extension with the Panthers. Whatever you did to get here, you’ve got to continue to do.”. It’s an honor to be the highest-paid running back of all time,” he said. Those guarantees come in the first two years of the deal, with $7.737 million (96.2%) of his 2021 base salary guaranteed as well as the full amount of his $825k salary in 2020. The structure of the extension is extremely interesting. McCaffrey acknowledged that his ability to be effective as both a runner and a receiver factored into negotiations at a time when few NFL running backs have succeeded in landing long-term extensions. It would be a shame for me to stop doing that stuff. The old-school football approach is that good running backs should still be valued highly, while the new analytics-based thinking is that running backs are easily replaceable. 8 pick in 2017. In 2018, he signed a four-year, $57.5 million extension with $21.95 million guaranteed. The strangest NFL offseason in recent memory included a major milestone for Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, the standout playmaker who signed the richest contract … However, OSM does not take into account a running back’s receiving prowess and that is where McCaffrey brings so much to the table. When you look around the league, you see other running backs who are taking pride in being able to run routes out of the backfield and create mismatches on linebackers. While it is difficult to make a determination on the value of Elliott’s contract, the decline of Johnson’s play over the last two years is a scary example of what the Panthers could be facing in a couple of years. The metric shines a light on the true performance of an individual and is based on factors solely within their control, allowing us to see when a player has done all he can to make his team great. All rights reserved. “For me, it was a tough process, but it was a smooth process with the circumstance and everything going on.”, McCaffrey's versatility and superb statistics helped him to a rare double: The Carolina Panthers running back has made The Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team at two positions. The structure of this deal is extremely clever from the McCaffrey side, as the relatively massive $21.5 million signing bonus makes it tough financially to move on from McCaffrey in 2022. However, he ended up earning just $22.047 million of that contract before being cut after three seasons. Johnson was traded from the Cardinals to the Houston Texans on March 20th in a trade that was generally seen as a head-scratcher by many around the league. With no guaranteed money left on the deal, only the remaining two pro-rated signing bonus years remain to count against the cap. Similarly to McCaffrey, he signed his deal with two years remaining on his rookie deal. However, since the announcement, we have seen multiple analytics-based analysts point out the flaws in paying a running back. However, there are a number of recent examples of how easily teams can be left regretting signing a player to a big contract such as this one. Which teams should take a running back in the 2020 NFL Draft? "I want to thank [owner David] Tepper, [general manager] Marty Hurney, and Coach [Matt] Rhule for the opportunity to help lead this great franchise, and to all my teammates for their help along the way. All market data delayed 20 minutes. NFL Power Rankings, Week 6: A shakeup in the top 5? When asked about it in a recent conference call with reporters, Rhule declined to discuss contract details but praised McCaffrey for his talents. Due to the large signing bonus and guarantees in Gurley’s contract, the Rams were left with a difficult choice of how to treat Gurley’s release. The announcement was met with a mixture of applause and derision from the NFL world. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport has echoed Schefter's report, noting that McCaffrey's new contract is a four-year, $64 million agreement. Getting to know the Dallas Cowboys’ new backup QB, Ben DiNucci. Cutting McCaffrey prior to the 2023 season would still cost $8.6 million in dead cap space, but it would save the Panthers $7.7 million.