Panthers Signing Christian McCaffrey to Huge Extension Proves They Learned Nothing From Rams' Todd Gurley Mistake

The Carolina Panthers are in possession of one of the most unique offensive weapons in all of football in running back Christian McCaffrey, but they decided to reward him with a questionable new contract.

One year after piling up 1,000 rushing and receiving yards (exclusively), McCaffrey agreed to a four-year, $64 million contract extension that makes him the highest-paid running back in NFL HISTORY!

Did the Los Angeles Rams paying Todd Gurley too early teach you people nothing?

No one is doubting McCaffrey's standing as one of the best running backs in the world. The major problem with this contract, however, is the fact that we have a handful of examples, principally Gurley's ill-fated deal, that show paying a running back before you absolutely need to is a major risk. If McCaffrey can't stay healthy or starts to regress, the Panthers might be looking to get rid of this deal in a few years just like the Rams were forced to do with Gurley.

Drafting a backup running back and limiting McCaffrey's touches to avoid overuse will be critical for Carolina.

McCaffery is going to be awesome next year with Joe Brady running the show on offense, but his deal could be a real financial anchor that weighs on the Panthers if he produces at anything less than a superstar clip.