4 worst contracts being paid by the Carolina Panthers in 2021
By Dean Jones
Matt Paradis – Carolina Panthers C
- 2021 salary – $5.69 million
At least on the face of things, paying a starting NFL center $5.96 million doesn’t seem that bad. However, one has to look a little deeper when exploring the current financial situation between the Carolina Panthers and Matt Paradis.
As states previously, things were tight money-wise in Carolina earlier this offseason. Some significant sacrifices needed to be made and general manager Scott Fitterer admitted that the Panthers and their salary-cap guru Samir Suleiman were forced to “kick the can down the road” in certain cases to remain competitive.
This meant cutting loose so deadwood and also restructuring other veterans to free up additional funds. Paradis fell into the latter and although this helped Carolina in the short-term, it only raises the stakes regarding the Boise State product on the final year of his deal.
Paradis hasn’t lived up to expectations after signing from the Denver Broncos in 2019. There hasn’t been much continuity around him, but if things continue in the same manner then Carolina will have no alternative other than to move on from the veteran in 2022.
If this scenario comes to fruition, the Panthers would still be on the hook for $9.23 million on their cap next year where Paradis is concerned.
Not ideal. But this was a necessary evil.