The Panthers have not held any contract talks with star quarterback Cam Newton, the first-overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, since this summer and none are planned, but it was made clear to the franchise at that time that Newton was not interested in doing a contract similar to the structure of Andy Dalton or Colin Kaepernick, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Those deals included small amounts of signing bonus/upfront money, and in essence were “pay-as-you-go” deals, with the quarterbacks having to be on the roster by a certain point each season in order to achieve the following season’s payout. Those types of deals provide extreme flexibility for the clubs, and require a very limited full financial commitment that is guaranteed for skill, injury and for salary-cap purposes. Sources said Newton’s talks with the Panthers did not extend far but the team understood that signing him long-term would require a substantial full guarantee, much more in the $50-plus million rage that top quarterbacks have achieved, and without a structure that would allow the team to in essence procure Newton’s long-term rights but retain the ability to easily cut him after any given season.
There are no discussions planned and Newton, who is signed through 2015 as Carolina executed the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, has made it clear he is focused on playing football and in no hurry to negotiate a deal. In fact, sources said, with the Seahawks facing having to re-do Russell Wilson’s deal after this season, it would be quite unlikely Newton’s camp would have any inclination to enter any intense negotiations at this point until ascertaining what Wilson’s deal looks like (it’s almost unfathomable that Wilson, an MVP candidate, would not have a new deal prior to the start of the 2015 season).
