Kelvin Benjamin's Contract Option to Be Picked Up by Panthers

Carolina Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman said Friday the team will pick up the fifth year on wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin's contract, per Max Henson of the team's official website.

Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer noted the option is for the 2018 season and "should be around $8 million."

According to Person and Jourdan Rodrigue, the Panthers had to decide on the fifth year of Benjamin's contract by early May.

The receiver has been with the Panthers his entire NFL career since they drafted him out of Florida State with the No. 28 pick in 2014. While he missed the entire 2015 season after tearing his ACL, he is one of the team's best playmakers when healthy.

He notched 1,008 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches as a rookie in 2014 and followed that up with 941 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions in 2016.

Benjamin is just 26 years old, so the Panthers locked him up for another year of his prime with Friday's announcement. He has experience with quarterback Cam Newton, and his height (6'5") makes him a lethal weapon in the red zone on jump balls, high throws and fade routes, as the NFL captured:

He will now look to lead a bounce-back effort for the Panthers in 2017 after they followed their Super Bowl appearance with a 6-10 effort last year.