Carolina Panthers: Skip Bayless calls McCaffrey extension ‘a bad idea’

FOX Sports analyst Skip Bayless does not think Christian McCaffrey is going to be worth the new deal that given to him by the Carolina Panthers.

Christian McCaffrey’s bumper four-year extension with the Carolina Panthers seems to have divided experts on whether the player should have been given such a big financial commitment.

The All-Pro is tied to the Panthers until 2025 following his extension, which is set to earn him an annual average salary of $16 million per season. It also makes him the highest-paid running back in NFL history.

FOX Sports analyst Skip Bayless had high praise for McCaffrey on Undisputed with Shannon Sharpe this morning. But he had reservations on whether the dual-threat back was worth the money.

Speaking on the subject, Bayless had this to say:

"“Christian McCaffrey is a stud of a young man. High class, high character, extreme intangibles. Just on intangibles alone, I would put him on a Hall of Fame arc. But my gut tells me, and history is screaming that he will not be worth this contract.“He could earn as much as $75 million over the next six years and I knock on wood for McCaffrey and he can endure the beating he is going to take. One reservation I had about him at Stanford was that he stayed hurt and got beat up.“He led the NFL by far in touches with 403, 48 more than next on the list. Most of those times he got hit and hit hard. History says you can’t take that. Look at Ezekiel Elliott, who looked like he was running in sand after his holdout. He didn’t look like the same player.“If you’re extending Christian six years, I don’t know how he is going to take the same beating Zeke has. As much as I’ll root for him, I’m sorry, I think this was a bad idea.”"

McCaffrey has not missed a regular-season game for the Panthers since they selected him No.8 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. He is not the average downhill runner that takes big hits on a consistent basis and has alleviated any lingering doubt about his durability.

He was nothing short of sensational in 2019 and his elite production saw him in the conversation for Most Valuable Player.

With 1,387 rushing yards, 1,005 receiving yards, 116 receptions, and 19 total touchdowns, McCaffrey was named a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler.