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Last week, Panthers coach Matt Rhule told the media in a Zoom call that Christian McCaffrey is a player that you can build a team around.
Clearly he wasn’t just blowing smoke.
Today, Adam Schefter at ESPN reported that Carolina has signed McCaffrey to a four-year contract extension that makes him the highest-paid running back in the history of the NFL.
The deal will pay McCaffrey $64 million over the course of the deal. That number is particularly interesting because it’s exactly $1 million more than the three-year contract quarterback Teddy Bridgewater just signed. While a lot goes into negotiating every deal and every player’s situation is unique, the decision says alot about what kind of team Rhule is trying to build.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that the Panthers plan to run McCaffrey into the ground the way the Seahawks do with their backs. In fact, it would come as a surprise given the way offensive coordinator Joe Brady ran things during his one year at LSU.
Then again, giving McCaffrey more money than Bridgewater makes it clear that the team considers him to be the foundation of their offense – not the starting quarterback. That’s quite an interesting dynamic in an era that’s soon to see the game’s best passer command more than $40 million per season.
Of course, this isn’t the 80’s and McCaffrey is much more than your average bellcow running back. He also happens to be perhaps the greatest pass-catching back in the history of the league, which makes him a special kind of weapon.
There’s a strong case to make that players like right tackle Taylor Moton and wide receiver Curtis Samuel should have been prioritized for extensions first. However, the Panthers are betting that they have a singular talent at a position that’s probably become too undervalued in recent years. Only time will tell if it’s the right call.
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