The Dallas Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott is no longer the highest-paid running back in NFL history as he was surpassed on Monday when the Carolina Panthers and All-Pro Christian McCaffrey agreed on a four-year extension worth $64 million. The $16 million per season beats what Elliott makes by $1.5 million per year.
These types of mega-deals given to running backs often backfire on the team – see Todd Gurley and David Johnson with the Rams and Cardinals, respectively – but McCaffrey is as good as they come. Last year, he became the third player in NFL history with at least 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. He rushed for 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns and caught 116 passes for 1,005 yards and four scores.
If McCaffrey was on your fantasy football team, you probably won your league! The No. 8 overall pick out of Stanford in 2017 has never missed a game and is the only player with 2,500 rushing yards and 2,500 receiving yards in his first three seasons.
If any running back has a shot to win an MVP Award these days, it's probably McCaffrey. However, he's a +4000 longer shot at William Hill sportsbook. Those are the second-shortest odds of a running back behind the Giants' Saquon Barkley at +3000.
Even with McCaffrey's monster season, the Panthers averaged only 21.3 points per game largely because their quarterback play was not good. The team signed Teddy Bridgewater in free agency and released former starter Cam Newton. Carolina also signed former Jets receiver Robby Anderson.
Anderson has 3,059 career receiving yards with 20 receiving touchdowns, ranking third and fourth in those respective categories among undrafted receivers since 2016. Anderson starred collegiately at Temple, which is where current Panthers head coach Matt Rhule was the coach from 2013-16.
Carolina has a win total of just 5.5 for this season at William Hill.
