Christian McCaffrey Says He Wants to Spend Entire NFL Career with Panthers

Christian McCaffrey is in no hurry to leave the Carolina Panthers after agreeing to a four-year extension with the team on April 13. 

"It's somewhere I would like to call home forever, and I didn't want to leave to be honest with you. I really didn't want to leave, and I don't think they wanted me to leave either," the running back said of the extension during a Monday video call with the media, per Ashley Stroehlein of NBC Charlotte:

Per Jack Duffy of Sports Illustrated, McCaffrey also discussed how he feels about the team, "I want to be in Carolina for my whole career ... I love the Carolinas more than anything in the world and it's somewhere I would like to call home forever."

Given the contract figures, Carolina wants McCaffrey around as well.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported the four-year extension features $38.2 million in practical guarantees with $30.1 million of it guaranteed at signing. Per Spotrac, only Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has a higher number at $50.1 million in practical guarantees. 

While Elliott has McCaffrey beat there, the Panthers running back will be paid $16 million in annual average salary. That is higher than Elliott's $15 million mark.

Paying running backs in today's pass-happy NFL is a risky endeavor, but McCaffrey is the type of dual-threat playmaker who can carry an offense. He was a Pro Bowler in 2019 behind 1,387 rushing yards, 1,005 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns after posting 1,098 rushing yards, 867 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns in 2018.

Evan Kaplan of ESPN Stats and Info noted the Stanford product is the first player in NFL history to accumulate 2,500 rushing yards and 2,500 receiving yards in his first three seasons in the league.

McCaffrey is just 23 years old and likely still has several seasons of prime production if he remains healthy.

He is apparently thrilled those seasons will come in Carolina.