Carolina Panthers agree to contract extension with Michael Palardy
The Carolina Panthers and punter Michael Palardy agreed to a three-year contract extension on Tuesday.
The Carolina Panthers made a move Monday that may not make big news but makes good teams. The team was able to agree to a three-year contract extension with punter Michael Palardy that will keep him with the team through the 2021 season, according to the team.
Palardy joined the team in 2016 and replaced Andy Lee, who was injured half way through the season, and played the seven final games. During that stretch, Palardy averaged 42.6 yards per punt with 13 punts downed inside the 20.
The team decided to keep Palardy during the offseason and competed with Andy Lee for the starting job. The popular opinion was that Lee would eventually win the job, as the Carolina Panthers had traded a draft pick for him the previous offseason.
However, the team elected to keep Palardy and he has been the team’s starting punter the past 19 games. Over that time span, he has had 85 punts, averaging 46 yards per punt with 33 downed inside the 20.
In the Panthers three games this year, Palardy ranks in the Top 10 in punts downed inside the 20 with eight. However, more importantly than the number of punts downed inside the 20, he only has one touchback.
This was the last piece the Panthers needed to solidify arguably one of the best groups of special teams specialists with kicker Graham Gano and long snapper JJ Jansen in the NFL. They were able to sign Jansen to a five-year contract after the 2015 season and signed kicker Gano to a four-year contract extension this past offseason.
The Panthers now have all three players under contract through the 2020 season.
Next. Panthers storylines coming off bye week. dark
The Carolina Panthers are coming off their bye week and will face the New York Giants at Bank of America Stadium in Week 5.