I’m not sure Panthers fans appreciate just how good of a deal they have with Cam Newton. Carolina has one of the premier talents in the league, in his prime, under contract at the absolute floor of what can be considered as good quarterback pay.
According to Spotrac, Newton’s cap hit (which we are going to take as an easy measure of overall pay) ranks 14th highest among NFL quarterbacks. Right behind him, at 15th, is Aaron Rodgers, who will see an extension on his contract before Newton. The list drops off from there into a who’s who of journeymen, has-beens, and probably-won’t-be’s like Andy Dalton, Blake Bortles, and Josh McCown.