Did holdout threat speed up Christian McCaffrey extension?
By Dean Jones
Why was McCaffrey considering a holdout?
The Carolina Panthers were not exactly held to ransom by Christian McCaffrey. But a potential holdout threat from the player would have had huge ramifications on the franchise.
Having their All-Pro miss time during the early faces of preparation for 2020 would be bad enough in normal circumstances. However, with so many season veterans and locker room leaders shipped out during the offseason, not having McCaffrey in virtual meetings would have left those remaining on the roster with more questions than answers.
It is evident that despite the Carolina Panthers investing heavily in quarterback Teddy Bridgewater during free agency. Any success that comes their way is going to come through McCaffrey. He is arguably the best running back in the NFL and became only the third player in history to record a season with 1,000-yards rushing and receiving last term.
"“You want to hire someone who speaks three languages great rather than one language good. I felt like I could do that on the football field.”"
McCaffrey holding out for the dollars he deserves was something he was willing to do. And this becomes even more prevalent when one considers the lack of desire from NFL teams league-wide to pay their backs in recent seasons.
He was well within his rights to threaten a potential holdout to get the Panthers to shell out for his services. McCaffrey has the production and the attitude to call upon during the negotiation process. And he is clearly the most indispensable player on the roster.
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The Pro Bowler is now a rare commodity at running back thanks to the bumper deal he recently signed. It doesn’t appear as if this has impacted others at the position who are looking for something similar. So the news regarding McCaffrey’s willingness to hold out for a portion of the offseason is something they should consider emulating.