The Carolina Panthers have had an extremely busy offseason. That trend continued on Monday when they signed Christian McCaffrey of Castle Rock, Colorado to a four year contract worth $64 million. As a result, McCaffrey has become the highest paid running back in National Football League history according to Adam Schefter and David Newton of ESPN.
McCaffrey now passes Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott of Alton, Illinois. Elliott is set to make $15 million this season.
A Pro Bowler in 2019, McCaffrey led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage (2392), rushing and receiving touchdowns (19). Known for his excellent stamina and versatility, McCaffrey also led the NFL in total touches (for rushing attempts and receptions) with 403.
This past season, McCaffrey had 287 rushes for 1387 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also had 116 catches for 1005 yards and four more touchdowns.
McCaffrey became only the third NFL running back in history to have 1000 yards rushing and 1000 yards receiving in a single season. Roger Craig of Preston, Mississippi had 1050 rushing yards and 1016 receiving yards for the San Francisco 49ers during the 1985 NFL season. Marshall Faulk of New Orleans, Louisiana had 1381 yards rushing and 1048 yards receiving for the St. Louis Rams during the 1999 NFL season.
It should also be noted that McCaffrey has more catches than any other running back in their first three seasons in NFL history. For this particular record, McCaffrey has not just broken the record, he has smashed it. McCaffrey has 303 catches in his first three NFL seasons. The old record belonged to LaDainian Tomlinson, who had 238 catches. It will now be interesting to see if new Panthers head coach Matt Rhule will continue to use McCaffrey in the passing game.
In the offseason, the Panthers have made some major changes. They have brought in quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, wide receiver Robby Anderson, linebacker Stephen Weatherly, and safety Juston Burris.
