Panthers sign Graham Gano to four-year extension
By Josh Sanchez
After longtime Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Jordan Gross announced that he would be retiring from the NFL, the team wasted no time using that money to lock up a key special teams player to a new extension.
On Friday morning, the Panthers announced that they have reached a new four-year agreement with kicker Graham Gano.
“The special teams unit was a large part of our success last year, and we are excited to keep Graham as a part of our team,” head coach Ron Rivera said, via the team’s official website. “Graham has shown range and accuracy in his field goal kicking, and his strong leg has been a weapon for us on kickoffs.”
Last season, Gano hit a career-high 88.9 percent of his field goals, including going a perfect 6-for-6 from 50 yards or longer. Gano also recorded touchbacks on 77.8 percent of his kickoffs, which was the highest in the league since 1994.
With Gano now under contract, the team will turn their attention to re-signing star defensive end Greg Hardy.