Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short is expected to sign his franchise tender at some point this week, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
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Short would have been the best interior defender on the open market had he reached free agency, but the Panthers opted to assign him the franchise tag, which will pay Short a fully guaranteed $13.387MM for the 2017 season. Short has expressed a willingness to sign the tender in the recent past, confessing that he wouldn’t take the same stance former Carolina franchise player Josh Norman did in 2016. “I wouldn’t fight it or anything,” said Short, who was unable to reach a long-term deal with the Panthers last offseason.
The 28-year-old Short, who graded as the league’s No. 3 interior defender last season per Pro Football Focus, would have until later this summer to ink an extension with the Panthers after signing the tag. Short earned a base salary of just over $1MM during the 2016 campaign.
Earlier today, Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson became the first 2017 franchise player to sign his tender.