The Panthers are close to extending their partnership with Robby Anderson, whose two-year contract could soon lead to a longer-term deal. The sides are deep in extension talks, Joseph Person of The Athletic reports.
This deal may well come to pass this week, per Person, and it would represent a key step for Carolina’s passing attack. Anderson signed a two-year, $20MM deal as a free agent last year. With that pact expiring at season’s end, the Panthers appear keen on keeping Matt Rhule‘s former Temple charge in the fold well into the 2020s. It would further a turnaround for Anderson, who dealt with off-field trouble in New York.
A downfield threat with the Jets, Anderson became a quick study in Joe Brady‘s Panthers offense by setting new career-high marks for receptions (95) and yards (1,096). The 95 catches were 32 more than the 6-foot-3 wideout previously totaled in a season. Anderson and D.J. Moore combined for nearly 2,300 yards in their first season together.
This will be Anderson’s age-28 season, and the sixth-year veteran would be bypassing a second run in free agency to stay with Carolina. This move would also affect Moore’s future. A 2018 first-round pick, Moore is signed through the 2022 season — thanks to the Panthers picking up his fifth-year option in May — and, at 24, will command a bigger contract than Anderson. If an Anderson extension does come to pass, it will play into Moore’s future negotiations.
The Panthers opted not to pay Curtis Samuel, allowing the emerging pass catcher to depart for Washington, and have replacement Terrace Marshall Jr. locked into a rookie deal through at least 2023. The team’s $24.4MM in cap space also sits third in the NFL. While the Panthers’ long-term quarterback situation is uncertain, they appear close to locking down Sam Darnold‘s top Jets option and potentially keeping this pair together long-term.