Panthers: Graham Gano signed to four-year contract
The Carolina Panthers have reached an agreement with Graham Gano on a four-year deal.
It appears that Graham Gano is here to stay .Per multiple media reports, the Carolina Panthers have signed Gano to a four-year deal. As a result, the team will not use the franchise tag on him.
Per Adam Schefter, the deal is worth $17 million with $9 million guaranteed
Gano had a great year in 2017. He missed just one field goal and three extra point attempts which was good enough for the first Pro Bowl berth in his career. It was great to see him bounce back after what was a rough 2016 campaign. He missed eight field goals in 2016 and had surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot. To say he played well last year would be an understatement.
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Since arriving to the team in 2012, Gano has appeared in 86 games, going 151-177 on field goals and 217-227 on extra point attempts.
This worked out great for the Carolina Panthers. They did not have to use the franchise tag, and they locked up a kicker who has been consistent throughout the course of his career.
Some may say “Well, he’s only a kicker”, but special teams are very important. The New England Patriots have found that out with Stephen Gostkowski. Although for the most part he has been dependable, he has struggled in certain situations. Having a dependable kicker is very important, and that is what the Carolina Panthers have here. Locking him up for four years was the smart thing to do.
If there is one negative to this contract, it is that Kansas City Chiefs kicker (and former Panther) Harrison Butker is making a lot less money. For the 2018 season, he is slated to make $555,000. The Carolina Panthers could have potentially saved themselves a ton of money. With that being said, Gano is still a wise investment.
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The Carolina Panthers and their fans should be happy that Gano will remain a Panther for quite some time. He has gotten the job done and now he is getting rewarded for it.