Carolina Panthers lineman Pat Elflein. Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Panthers restructure OL Pat Elflein’s contract, approaching $30M in cap space

Originally posted on Pro Football Rumors | By Ben Levine | Last updated 3/12/22

While much of the focus in Carolina is on the Panthers’ pursuit of Deshaun Watson, the team continues to open up some additional cap space. ESPN’s Field Yates reports that the Panthers have restructured offensive lineman Pat Elflein‘s contract.

The front office converted $4.86M of the player’s 2022 compensation into a signing bonus, creating an additional $2.4M in cap space. Per Yates, the team is now “closing in” on close to $30M in cap space.

The Panthers added Elflein on the first day of free agency in 2021, with the lineman inking a three-year, $13.5M deal. He started all nine of his games during his first season with the organization, but he missed a chunk of the season while dealing with a hamstring issue.

The 27-year-old started his career with the Vikings, starting 43 of his 44 games. He split the 2020 season between the Vikings and the Jets.

This article first appeared on Pro Football Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

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