Pro Football Rumors

Our own Dallas Robinson let it be known that Cam Newton will not hold out while looking for a long-term contract, but that doesn’t mean the Panthers quarterback is content to let his current deal play out. Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer writes that Newton would like the team to come to terms with him on a long term extension.

“My agreement with the Panthers, it’s not something that you can just say off the top of your head,” Newton said. “Hopefully I will be able to get that long-term deal because Charlotte is a place that I can call home.”

The fear for players drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft is that not only will the teams exercise the fifth year option, but then will still have the option to apply the franchise tag to them. That gives the team six years of control of a player’s career. The individual player would have very little leverage in this situation, and the thought is that it could cause a player to hold out until he is given a new deal.

When Robinson wrote that Newton would not hold out, he mentioned that Cardinal cornerback Patrick Peterson might hold out to ensure a long-term contract. Star defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson also has had to deal with questions about a potential holdout.

Newton is right about the reasons his situation is different when talking about holding out. He is the face of that franchise, and as a quarterback, a leader on that team.

Of course, no matter what he says publicly, no player wants to play on a one-year contract in that fifth year, with no long-term security. This is especially true when a team can place a franchise tag on a player rather than committing to them and providing the financial security that comes with a contract extension. The longer the Panthers push negotiation talks into the future, the more likely a potential holdout from the face of the franchise becomes.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton will not hold out in the hopes of getting a contract extension, he told Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio (who was guest hosting The Dan Patrick Show). While Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson may use a hold-out as a way to angle for an extension, Newton says he won’t follow suit. “I think our positions are completely different,” he told Florio. “Being the leader of this team, I don’t think that would be a good look for me.”

Newton continued, noting that his priorities are on the field. “My main focus is trying to become a better player. I think Russell Wilson put a lot of pressure on young quarterbacks [by winning the Super Bowl], but needless to say, we don’t have that fallback answer no more. We’re no longer young quarterbacks.”

Newton is in the fourth year of his rookie deal, and is set to earn about $3.4MM. Under the new CBA, the Panthers hold a fifth-year option on the star quarterback. Newton’s free agency will make for an interesting precedent. Not only will he be the first franchise quarterback to get an extension who was drafted under the new CBA (as Gregg Rosenthal notes), but he will also be the first star QB signed since Michael Vick who is valued for his running ability as much as his passing acumen. Newton’s rushing prowess obviously adds to his overall value, but it could also make the Panthers worried about his risk of injury.