Heading into the 2021 season, the Carolina Panthers had trouble finding a stable kicker and Zane Gonzalez had trouble finding a stable home. Now, they’ve found each other.
On Wednesday morning, the team announced a two-year extension for the 26-year-old—a deal reportedly worth $4.5 million according to Joseph Person of The Athletic.
Gonzalez got his footing down in Carolina, where he successfully booted through 20 of his 22 field goal attempts and 22 of his 23 extra points in 2021. Before succumbing to a season-ending quad injury during pregame warmups against the Buffalo Bills in Week 15, Gonzalez had converted on 17 straight field goals while picking up a pair of NFC Special Teams Player of the Week nods in the process.
This, of course, is a much-welcomed pact for the Panthers—who went on a little adventure trying to get themselves a kicker at the beginning of the season. After juggling through names such as Joey Slye, Dominik Eberle and Ryan Santoso, Carolina was able to trust the position with Gonzalez as he solidified himself throughout an impressive campaign.
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