The Panthers entered the offseason needing to add offensive weapons.
But their first move was to hang onto their most explosive one.
The Panthers announced that tight end Greg Olsen had signed a three-year extension to keep him in place through the 2018 season.
Agent Drew Rosenhaus told PFT the deal was worth $22.5 million with $12 million to sign.
“It’s really a dream come true,” Olsen said. “Since we’ve come to Charlotte, we very quickly realized that this is home. This community quickly embraced our family, so we put down roots here. We love it here. This is home for us.
“Now to have this contract that guarantees that I’ll play the rest of my career in Charlotte is a tremendous blessing. We’re just so thankful for the team believing in me and wanting me to still be a part of this. As a team, we have a lot of special times ahead of us.”
Originally acquired in a trade with the Bears, Olsen’s coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance after an 84-catch, 1,008-yard season.
He was Cam Newton’s most dependable receiver last season, as they’re developing wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin.