The Panthers have announced that linebacker Luke Kuechly has signed a five-year contract extension through the 2021 season.
“Luke is one of the best young players in the NFL and I’m very excited that the extension is done,” Panthers G.M. Dave Gettleman said. “Like Cam Newton’s extension, this contract allows us to do the long-term planning and have the fixed cost that we need to continue to build the best team possible.”
Kuechly has been a first-team All-Pro for two straight years and is the most important player in Carolina’s defense.
“Luke is a special player and has been a big reason why we’ve had success on defense,” head coach Ron Rivera said. “He has the skillset you want in a middle linebacker – a great first step, the ability to play downhill and drop into coverage – and he has great command of our defense and what we want to do schematically. He’s a perfect fit for us and I’m excited we got the deal done.”
It’s a five-year, $62 million deal, paying Kuechly an average of $12.4 million a year.
