Report: Christian McCaffrey's Panthers Contract Includes $38.2M Guaranteed

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is reportedly guaranteed some serious money.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the four-year contract extension McCaffrey signed with the Panthers features $38.2 million in practical guarantees. Of that figure, $30.1 million is guaranteed at signing, and the additional money will become fully guaranteed next March, assuming Carolina does not cut him after one year.

Only Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott features a higher practical guarantee at the position with $50.1 million, per Spotrac.  

However, the $16 million average annual salary for McCaffrey is higher than Elliott's $15 million AAV.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported McCaffrey is now the highest-paid running back in NFL history, based on the annual average.

There is a reason Carolina paid the Stanford product so much. He is still just 23 years old and the clear-cut face of the franchise now that Cam Newton is no longer on the roster. He is also coming off his first career Pro Bowl campaign, which saw him tally 1,387 rushing yards, 1,005 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns.

He was also impressive in 2018 with 1,098 rushing yards, 867 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns, one of which came on a pass.

McCaffrey is the ideal running back for the modern game because of his ability to get open as a receiver and provide the quarterback with more than just a safety valve. While he is capable of running between the tackles, he is a three-down back who can beat defenses in a variety of ways.

That is worth plenty of guaranteed money.