Trai Turner gets extension from Panthers

Carolina Panthers guard Trai Turner isn’t going anywhere. Apparently, he and the Panthers are going to agree to a four-year extension, says Turner.

The Carolina Panthers have made a massive change in the front office in the last few days. Former general manager Dave Gettleman was ousted from his post after four years. Replacing him was former Panthers general manager Marty Hurney in the interim. His first order of business: re-sign guard Trai Turner to a long-term extension.

Turner went to Twitter on Thursday afternoon to announce that he and the Panthers will be agreeing to a four-year deal. He was a former third round pick out of LSU in the 2014 NFL Draft. Turner has made 41 starts for the Panthers the last three seasons, making back-to-back trips to the Pro Bowl in 2015 and 2016.

At 24 years old, it is probably in the Panthers’ best interest to get Turner under contract before he gets up their in age. He will be playing for Carolina through the 2020 NFL season at 27 years old. Not bad for one of the best young guards in the game.

Since he broke his own news about his Panthers extension, you have to believe he is very excited about getting that big time NFL money for the first time. While Turner was a second-team All-SEC player at LSU, who could have foreseen him becoming this great of a player this quickly for the Panthers?

It’ll be interesting to see how much coin Turner will pocket. Even for a Pro Bowl guard, it can’t be crippling to the Panthers’ future salary cap situation. Do keep in mind that Gettleman was brought in four years ago to clean up a terrible cap situation Hurney largely created.

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Not to say Turner can’t or won’t live up to the amount of his second contract, but owner Jerry Richardson will want to see other Panthers player get paid. Now that Turner has put pen to paper, expect linebacker Thomas Davis and tight end Greg Olsen to be next in the negotiating line.