Panthers make McCaffrey highest-paid running back
CHARLOTTE, N.C. » The Carolina Panthers have rewarded Christian McCaffrey for his production and versatility, making him the highestpaid running in the NFL.
The team agreed to a fouryear, $64 million contract extension with McCaffrey on Monday, a person familiar with the contract negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Panthers have not announced the extension. Details on how much of the contract is fully guaranteed were unavailable.
The $16-million-a-year deal eclipses Ezekiel Elliott’s contract with the Dallas Cowboys that is worth $15 million per season.
The extension keeps McCaffrey, 23, tied to the Panthers through the 2025 season. The coming season would be the final year of his rookie contract, and Carolina had the option to pick up a fifth year in 2021.
It appeared to a matter of when, not if, the extension was coming after Panthers coach Matt Rhule made it clear last week that he viewed McCaffrey as a vital part of the franchise moving forward.
McCaffrey ran for 1,387 yards and posted 1,005 yards receiving last season for the Panthers, joining Marshall
Faulk and Roger Craig as the only running backs in NFL history to reach 1,000 yards in both categories in the same season.
The former first-round draft pick has been a spectacular selection for the Panthers, amassing 2,920 yards rushing and 2,523 yards receiving along with 39 touchdowns in three seasons. He is the only player in NFL history with at least 2,500 yards receiving and rushing in his first three seasons.
Panthers general manager Marty Hurney hinted last week that a contract extension was coming, saying the team was having “internal discussions.” Hurney said then that “everyone knows what we think of Christian as a player.”
Mom of T-wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns dies from COVID-19
MINNEAPOLIS » Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, the mother of Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, died Monday due to complications from COVID-19 after more than a month of fighting the virus.
The Timberwolves made the announcement via the Towns family, which requested privacy. Karl Towns Sr., the father of the twotime All-Star player, was also hospitalized with the virus but has since recovered.
A native of the Dominican Republic, Cruz-Towns was a fixture at Timberwolves games from the start of Karl-Anthony Towns’ NBA career in 2015.
The family expressed gratitude to the “warriors” at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia and JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey, the hospitals where she received care.
XFL files for bankruptcy, cites COVID-19 crisis
The XFL filed for bankruptcy on Monday, likely spelling the end of the second iteration of the league.
The WWE-backed XFL had canceled the rest of its return season last month because of the coronavirus pandemic. It suspended operations and laid off its employees Friday.
The league said Monday in a news release that it wasn’t insulated “from the harsh economic impacts and uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 crisis.”
“This is a heartbreaking time for many, including our passionate fans, players and staff, and we are thankful to them, our television partners, and the many Americans who rallied to the XFL for the love of football,” the league said in its statement.
The XFL had eight franchises this season and played five games out of a planned 10-game schedule. It drew decent TV ratings early on and had deals with ESPN and Fox.