Assessing McCaffrey’s market value ahead of contract talks
By Dean Jones
McCaffrey’s contract situation
Someone with the sort of production that Christian McCaffrey has given the Carolina Panthers so far is entitled to want a raise. He has vastly outperformed his rookie contract and wants to be paid in accordance with his impact.
McCaffrey penned a four-year, fully guaranteed $17.24 million contract when entering the league. This included a $10.6 million signing bonus with an average annual salary of $4.31 million.
The running back is set to earn $2.81 million in base salary next season and count $5.48 million against the Panthers’ salary cap. This is a bargain price for someone that is a pivotal member of the roster.
McCaffrey will want some security heading into 2020. Having players worrying about their contract situation could have a detrimental effect on their overall production on the field.
This is something the Panthers need to avoid at all costs. There is little margin for error if they are to stand any chance of mounting a challenge in the NFC South next season and having their best player worrying about what a potential injury would do to his money is not something that would end well for the organization.
Giving McCaffrey a long-term commitment with a substantial raise that matches his influence will allow the player to focus on getting the team back to prominence during head coach Matt Rhule’s first season at the helm.