Both on a symbolic and a systematic level, what the Carolina Panthers did Monday by making Christian McCaffrey the highest-paid running back in the league was right on the money.
Symbolically, McCaffrey is the unquestioned face of a sputtering franchise that has lost Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly and Greg Olsen this offseason. On a team where you can't tell most of the players without a scorecard _ as well as a team that begins 2020 on an eight-game losing streak and had a notable drop-off in home attendance toward the end of last season _ locking up McCaffrey through 2025 makes sense. It also sends a message to your impatient fans that you're not tanking.
McCaffrey getting a $16 million per year extension also makes sense from a football perspective. I get the "sell high" idea _ that McCaffrey may never have a better statistical year than the 1,000-1,000 double he put together in 2019, and trading him now might work for a team with a lot of needs like the Panthers. Other teams have certainly given a great big contract to a running back and seen it backfire _ the L.A. Rams and Todd Gurley being just one example.
But when you have a superstar, and he's 23-years old, and the rest of your superstars are gone, you don't trade him away. You extend his contract (four years, $64 million after his still-in-place rookie deal ends in 2021), protect your investment by using him wisely, spread the ball around more and make him the keystone of the offense.
McCaffrey was Dave Gettleman's final No. 1 pick as the Carolina general manager in 2017 before Jerry Richardson, then the Panthers owner, unceremoniously dumped Gettleman just prior to Carolina's training camp that season. While new coach Matt Rhule and GM Marty Hurney have made a ton of changes in the past three months as they establish Carolina's new regime, it's good to know they still realized where much of the Panthers' bread is buttered.
McCaffrey was good as a rookie, great as a second-year player and otherworldly last season in Year 3. He may never have stats quite as spectacular as 2019 again _ 1,387 rushing yards, 1,005 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns. He won a whole lot of fantasy leagues for a whole lot of fantasy owners.
But the Panthers themselves only went 5-11, and several times it seemed like former offensive coordinator Norv Turner was using McCaffrey as a crutch to prop up a stumbling team.
In 2020 and beyond, I'd like to see McCaffrey with the ball a little bit less, allowing him to be more explosive in fourth quarters. It's time for him to not only wear a captain's "C" all year, but and become more of a vocal leader.
McCaffrey and the Panthers are wedded to each other for the long-term, and I'm sure McCaffrey would be happy to have offensive coordinator Joe Brady divide the touches a little more evenly if that means Carolina wins more.
"You can't count the touches," McCaffrey has often said. "You've got to make the touches count."
One thing you will never have to worry about is McCaffrey getting fat and happy now that he's gotten paid. "Run CMC" reminds me a lot of Kuechly in terms of his preparation, and that is a high compliment.
Running backs take a pounding _ more so than almost any other position. Despite all the work McCaffrey does on his body, he might get hurt and miss a game (he hasn't yet, playing in 48 out of a possible 48). Every long-term contract bet is a gamble.
But when you sign McCaffrey, the odds shall be ever in your favor _ and the Panthers should be commended for making this deal.
