Panthers sign Graham Gano to four-year contract

The Panthers have signed kicker Graham Gano to a four-year contract, the team announced Friday.

"The special teams unit was a large part of our success last year, and we are excited to keep Graham as a part of our team," Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. "Graham has shown range and accuracy in his field goal kicking, and his strong leg has been a weapon for us on kickoffs."

In 2013, Gano played in all 16 games for Carolina, converting 24 of 27 field goal attempts to establish a career high with an 88.9 field goal percentage. Gano set a franchise record and tied for the NFL lead for the most made field goals of 50 yards or more with six. He was the only kicker in the NFL with more than three attempts from 50-plus yards without a miss from that distance.

Gano placed 76 of 82 kickoffs in the end zone with 63 touchbacks to lead the NFL with a 77.8 touchback percentage, the highest touchback percentage in the NFL since 1994.