Cam Newton, Panthers Agree on New Contract: Top Takeaways from Press Conference

The Carolina Panthers made Cam Newton a very rich man on Tuesday, signing him to a five-year, $103.8 million contract with $60 million guaranteed and a $22.5 million signing bonus, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. 

Shortly after the Panthers announced the deal, Newton, general manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Ron Rivera held a press conference to discuss it. 

Gettleman talked about the process of getting the deal done and the importance of doing so, per Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer:

As if the money hadn't already done the talking for them, Gettleman and Rivera made sure to emphasize the value Newton had to the organization, per David Newton of ESPN:

Newton, meanwhile, noted that he didn't involve himself too much in the negotiation process, per Steve Reed of the Associated Press:

As you might anticipate, when a team pays a quarterback the type of money Newton is getting, it expects a Super Bowl will soon follow. Gettleman addressed that fact, per Black and Blue Review:

Newton expects the same, per Reed:

And he also said he expects to have a subdued celebration after inking the new deal, per Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer:

It's hard to imagine Newton won't splurge a little more than that. 

What isn't hard to imagine is why the Panthers value Newton so highly. The quarterback has led them to the postseason in consecutive years, proving himself as a mobile quarterback and red-zone weapon who has also shown growth in the pocket. 

Emily Kaplan of the MMQB summed up Newton's worth to the Panthers rather succinctly:

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A precedent has been set for teams to overpay quarterbacks, and Newton has demonstrated that he can develop as a passer and win in the playoffs—even with a shoddy offensive line and mediocre supporting cast around him. What was the Panthers’ alternative? Pray that an aging veteran falls to them in free agency down the line? Hinge their fortunes on a draftee? In today’s NFL, once you find a sure enough QB, you keep him unless there’s an obvious upgrade.

"

While Newton struggled with injuries early in the 2014 season, he still accumulated 3,666 yards from scrimmage, 23 total touchdowns and just 12 interceptions, completing 58.5 percent of his passes. If that's a down year from Newton, well, the Panthers will probably take it, especially considering he's thrown for at least 3,000 yards and rushed for at least 500 in each of his four seasons with the team. 

Whether folks like the amount of money the Panthers paid him or not, he's a franchise quarterback who has clearly established himself as the most important member of the team. The Panthers, for the foreseeable future, will go as far as Newton can take them. Given the amount of money Carolina paid him, the team clearly believes he can take it far.