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The Panthers have signed quarterback Andy Dalton to a two-year, $8M extension, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The deal includes $6M in fully guaranteed money with a maximum value of $10M. Dalton will be under contract in Carolina through the 2026 season and can continue his mentorship of former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, with whom he has a “close relationship,” according to Schefter.
Both quarterbacks earned praise from within and without the Panthers organization for how they handled the tumultuous 2024 season. Young was benched after just two games with Dalton starting Weeks 3 through 7. In that span, he completed 106 of his 159 passes for 989 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions. The Panthers went 1-4 with Dalton under center before a car crash sidelined him in Week 8, giving Young another opportunity to start. Dalton missed only one game, but Young held onto the starting gig on a week-to-week basis. After increasingly positive pronouncements from head coach Dave Canales, Young was finally declared the full-time starter to close out the season.
The Panthers have backed Young as their starter in 2025, but the maturity and experience Dalton demonstrated last season was worth keeping around. He is entering his 15th season and will turn 38 years old in October, so this could be his last contract. With at least $6M coming his way, Dalton’s career earnings will be at least $115M, per OverTheCap, and could reach $120M if he hits the maximum value of the deal.
Dalton’s extension with the Panthers will keep him from hitting free agency, where he was expected to draw interest in the backup quarterback market. The Dolphins explored trading for Dalton last September, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, and were expected to renew their pursuit if he became available in March. Instead, they will likely pivot to Marcus Mariota, provided the Commanders don’t follow the Panthers’ lead and re-sign their veteran backup.
More must-reads:
- Next man up: The greatest backup QBs in NFL history
- Steelers receive massive Aaron Rodgers injury update ahead of Bears game
- The 'Most rushing attempts in the 2023-24 NFL season' quiz
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Jerry Jones made bold claim about George Pickens after Cowboys’ ‘MNF’ win
Jerry Jones sounded like the conductor of the George Pickens hype train after the Dallas Cowboys’ Monday night win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Pickens caught nine passes for 144 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys’ 33-16 win at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. The numbers don’t do justice to some of the masterful moves Pickens executed in the primetime victory. https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1990609821054509411 Pickens had himself quite a night, especially considering he and CeeDee Lamb were benched on the Cowboys’ opening drive. Nobody was more impressed than Jones. After the game, the Cowboys owner claimed he had “never seen” a performance like the one Pickens put on during Week 11’s “Monday Night Football” clash. “Pickens was — I’ve never seen a performance like that. It was poetic the way that he was making those moves out there. It was like he was in an opera or something out there. A ballet,” Jones said, via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. Jones’ claim is certainly a bold one, given that he’s watched the likes of Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Dez Bryant, Terrell Owens, and even Lamb catch passes for Dallas over the years. There’s definitely some recency bias at play, on top of Jones’ incentive to hype up one of the Cowboys’ key offseason acquisitions. The look on Jones’ face after watching Quinnen Williams get his first sack as a Cowboy said it all. Bold claims aside, Pickens has indeed been dominant in his first season in Dallas. Through 10 games, the Georgia alum leads the team in receiving yards (908), receiving touchdowns (7), and ranks second on the team in catches (58).
Steve Kerr 'very concerned' about worrisome trend plaguing NBA
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is sounding the alarm on a troubling trend affecting the league that could potentially worsen down the line. The NBA has faced some huge crises over the past few months. The Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration issue in the offseason raised concerns about the Los Angeles Clippers potentially circumventing the salary cap. The arrests of Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier highlighted the growing threat of sports gambling on the integrity of the game. Steve Kerr highlights an under-the-radar concern While those fiascos have understandably grabbed headlines, Kerr recently expressed unease about a different issue that’s flying under the radar. The Warriors coach admitted to ESPN’s Anthony Slater that he is “very concerned” that the heightened pace of play in the modern game over an 82-game schedule may finally be taking its toll on the Association, with a growing number of soft tissue injuries impacting players of late. Eight different players have suffered soft tissue injuries over the past couple of weeks, headlined by stars like Anthony Davis, Victor Wembanyama and, most recently, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Kerr stated that the Warriors’ medical staff believes “wear and tear, the speed, the pace, the mileage” are increasing the risk of today’s players suffering such injuries. “Across the league, everyone understands that it’s easier to score if you beat the opponent down the floor, get out in transition,” Kerr said. “But when everybody’s doing that, the games are much higher-paced. Everyone has to cover out to 25 feet because everybody can shoot 3s. We have all the data. Players are running faster and further [than] before. We’re trying to do the best we can, but we basically have a game every other night. It’s not an easy thing to do.” Kerr, who has been an advocate for shortening the regular season, also lamented the struggles teams face with the league schedule, which makes it difficult for teams to get adequate recovery and practice time. With the Steph Curry-era Warriors being a huge part of the NBA’s pace and space movement, Kerr knows just how physically demanding the modern game has become. But with the financial implications that come with potentially shortening the season, Kerr understands that such a drastic change to the NBA schedule is “not happening” anytime soon.
Taylor Swift's Emotional Letter to Late Liam Payne Set to Fetch $13,000 at Auction
Taylor Swift's emotional handwritten letter to Liam Payne is expected to draw significant attention when it goes up for auction next month. The note, sent in December 2017, is projected to sell for as much as $13,000 due to its deeply personal and historic nature. Swift wrote the message shortly before Payne took the stage at the Jingle Bell Ball in London, at a time when he was gaining traction as a solo artist after One Direction began its hiatus. According to the auctioneers, interest has already grown ahead of bidding. Taylor wrote: "Liam, long time no see! I'm so excited for you. You're crushing it out there. I'm obsessed with Bedroom Floor. It's so cool to see you from afar, I'm always cheering you on. Good luck tonight!" The Mirror reports that the letter showed up in an envelope labeled only "Liam," covered in stars. The envelope was wax-sealed with a "T," and on the back appeared "Nashville, Tennessee." Payne reportedly gave the letter to a friend shortly after receiving it. The sale of the note comes just over a year after Payne's death in October 2024. The singer died at age 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina. According to the People, an autopsy later revealed polytrauma along with traces of alcohol, cocaine, and prescription antidepressants in his system. His sister, Ruth Gibbins, described ongoing grief in the months since his death. She said: "My brain is locked on your last minutes on this earth, the unaccounted minutes, the minutes I will never have the answers to, the minutes that changed everything." She also posted on Instagram : "I underestimated grief, woah, did I underestimate it. I am paralysed by it daily. I thought I had felt it before but I know the losses before you were just intense sadness, you are the loss of my life, the one person who l will miss at every single occasion in my life." Omega Auctions is expected to see much interest from collectors once it begins accepting bids for the item, since the letter is a rare personal exchange between two major pop figures. According to the source, the timing has added an emotional weight to the sale, aligning as it does with the anniversary of Payne's death.
Senators are the clear winner in trade with Flyers
Good news for Ottawa Senators fans, as the franchise accelerated its timeline to be competitive in the 2025-26 season following the official announcement of a trade on Monday. Ottawa and Philadelphia have swapped two defensemen. The Senators acquire Dennis Gilbert, while the Flyers receive Maxence Guenette. "We’ve acquired defenseman Maxence Guenette from Ottawa in exchange for defenseman Dennis Gilbert. We have also agreed to terms with Guenette on a one-year, two-way contract," the Flyers announced. Why Dennis Gilbert is a perfect fit for the Senators' blue line The Senators didn't just make a trade; they plugged a hole on their blue line. Gilbert, 29, can enter the lineup immediately or be the first call-up to cover injuries, back-to-backs, and PK, without a steep learning curve. The defenseman has NHL experience with 111 games in six seasons, so he's a safer bet to integrate into the lineup than a prospect who hasn't yet proven himself at the highest level. Gilbert fits seamlessly under the salary cap and allows them to move pieces on the blue line without sacrificing picks or cap space. He signed for one year with the Senators with a cap hit of $875,000. Furthermore, he will improve the baseline play of the third pair and reliably handle five-on-five and PK minutes in emergency scenarios. Ottawa traded an RFA for a player who can contribute from day one. Gilbert's physical but disciplined game fits coach Travis Green's needs. So, the Senators turned a future lottery ticket into a known commodity. Guenette, 24, needed minutes in the NHL and a clear pathway. The Senators could not offer him that and opted for more roster certainty.
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