Kuechly, Panthers agree to 5-year, $62M extension

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... -extension



The Panthers and linebacker Luke Kuechly agreed to a five-year, $62 million contract extension, NFL Media's Rand Getlin reports, per a source informed of the contract.

Getlin reports Kuechly's extension averages $12.4 million per year, making him the highest-paid linebacker in the history of the NFL.

Around The NFL will have more on this shortly.

Wagner will hold out next offseason.

Fade":283m1p4f said:

Wagner will hold out next offseason.

Click to expand...

So hes going to be making almost 2 million more per year than Wagner O_O

Wow, glad we signed Wagner when we did.

HawkFan72":2kds7yrn said:

Wow, glad we signed Wagner when we did.

Click to expand...

Cant wait to see how much more Luck will be weighing the colts down by compared to Wilson either

peachesenregalia":4an5h5nn said:

HawkFan72":4an5h5nn said:

Wow, glad we signed Wagner when we did.

Click to expand...

Yep. ANd when Luck signs his new deal, we're going to think Wilson's deal was a bargain. The NFL is just silly sometimes. I don't see how this kind of one-upping with contracts is sustainable.

Click to expand...

Because the Salary Cap keeps going up. I would assume if it was stagnant contracts wouldnt get inflated

Hype or not, Kuechly is sort of considered the "Aaron Rodgers" of ILBs at the moment. I don't think Wagner would've been paid more whether he signed before or after him, just like no team has been able to justify paying any QB more than Rodgers thus far.

DavidSeven":1y2q9ee4 said:

Hype or not, Kuechly is sort of considered the "Aaron Rodgers" of ILBs at the moment. I don't think Wagner would've been paid more whether he signed before or after him, just like no team has been able to justify paying any QB more than Rodgers thus far.

Click to expand...

or is he the Andrew Luck of ILBS? :?:

WilsonMVP":1zqzdx4j said:

Fade":1zqzdx4j said:

Wagner will hold out next offseason.

Click to expand...

So hes going to be making almost 2 million more per year than Wagner O_O

Click to expand...

Let's wait on the breakdown, but Wagner has a 13/14 million hit the last two of his 4 year extension. Since Kuechly was a first round pick and had the 5th year extension, it appears to be a 7 year $75 million deal.

I understand the Kuechly/Luck comparisons being nauseating since Panther fans see the Cam/Luck double standard too, but Kuechly is only 24 and PFF is gaga over him much more than Luck, fwiw.

WilsonMVP":d9rqi2qx said:

DavidSeven":d9rqi2qx said:

Hype or not, Kuechly is sort of considered the "Aaron Rodgers" of ILBs at the moment. I don't think Wagner would've been paid more whether he signed before or after him, just like no team has been able to justify paying any QB more than Rodgers thus far.

Click to expand...

or is he the Andrew Luck of ILBS? :?:

Click to expand...

Luck will probably surpass Rodgers next year, but that's because people still think (again, hype or not) that he's the greatest QB prospect of his generation. One could argue that even if Luck and Rodgers signed new deals on the same day, Luck might still be paid more. So, it's not just a matter of being "next in line" in that situation.

Considering the hype factor, Kuechly and Luck are probably more analogous.

I personally have no problem with Kuechly being paid a full notch above what Wagner got. He's every bit as fast as Wagner, more consistent as a tackler / fighting off blocks, and when he makes a big play, it feels like he created it on his own as opposed to Wagner who's big plays usually feel manufactured by the scheme, IMO. He also has significantly more tackles per game. Something about the eyeball test, Wagner seems smooth, well coached and very very good, but not dominant like Kuechly, IMO.

Kuechly deserves every penny. Phenomenal player with HOF level talent if he stays healthy.

Definitely one of my favourite non-Hawk players. He is awesome to watch.

WilsonMVP":346mdrjn said:

Fade":346mdrjn said:

Wagner will hold out next offseason.

Click to expand...

So hes going to be making almost 2 million more per year than Wagner O_O

Click to expand...

At long last, here's the breakdown of both players on spotrac. Wagner will actually have a slightly higher cap hit in 2016 and 2018 while Kuechly has a higher hit in 2017. Kuechly being one year younger is inked through 2021.

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/carolina-pan ... e-kuechly/

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/seattle-seah ... by-wagner/

kearly":19h4gyfg said:

I personally have no problem with Kuechly being paid a full notch above what Wagner got. He's every bit as fast as Wagner, more consistent as a tackler / fighting off blocks, and when he makes a big play, it feels like he created it on his own as opposed to Wagner who's big plays usually feel manufactured by the scheme, IMO. He also has significantly more tackles per game. Something about the eyeball test, Wagner seems smooth, well coached and very very good, but not dominant like Kuechly, IMO.

Click to expand...

Our fave, Pepe Prisco, disagrees with your assessment
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer...ng-nfls-top-lbs-luke-kuechly-and-bobby-wagner

Is he allowed to sign a deal when maybe still suffering from concussion? Would be curious if there are any rules on that. I guess the agent helps but yeh...

kearly":37bd8kgi said:

I personally have no problem with Kuechly being paid a full notch above what Wagner got. He's every bit as fast as Wagner, more consistent as a tackler / fighting off blocks, and when he makes a big play, it feels like he created it on his own as opposed to Wagner who's big plays usually feel manufactured by the scheme, IMO. He also has significantly more tackles per game. Something about the eyeball test, Wagner seems smooth, well coached and very very good, but not dominant like Kuechly, IMO.

Click to expand...

I'd probably come under the gun if I were the first person in the thread to say this (being an interloper and all), but really good post.

Kuechly and pre-injury Bowman were really in a class of their own IMO, with Wagner just a step behind. (and that's not even remotely a knock on Wagner; it's like saying Michael Bennett is no JJ Watt, or Wilson isn't Aaron Rodgers).

I personally don't agree with the following, but I think the only way someone could criticize the signing would be to say that a MLB simply isn't worth 12.5 APY, regardless of how good he is.