Cam Newton Signs 5-Year, $103.8M Deal; Now Third Highest-Paid NFL Player

The official numbers for Cam Newton’s new deal with the Carolina Panthers are in. They show the 26-year-old quarterback getting set to be paid $103.8 million for five years starting in the upcoming 2015 NFL Season.

The lucrative deal, which is worth $20.76 million per season, will make Newton one of the highest-paid players in the league. Only two players, quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, who will earn $22 million, of the Green Bay Packers and Ben Roethlisberger, who will be paid $21.85 million, of the Pittsburgh Steelers have higher salaries, on average, for 2015.

Others with a similar salary for the upcoming season are Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons with $20.75 million, Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens with $20.1 million and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints with $20 million.

The Panthers front office is confident that it has made the right move in extending Newton’s deal and that the star QB will lead them to a Super Bowl win. "We believe he'll take us to the Promised Land," Carolina’s general manager Dave Gettleman said to ESPN after the deal was announced.

Newton showed gratitude with the new deal but admits it comes with the pressure of delivering the team to a championship. "I'm thankful this opportunity came and it's over with. Now that I can focus on playing football and getting the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl and winning the Super Bowl, it puts me somewhat in cruise control at the moment,” Newton said in the same article. "I know I'm nowhere where I want to be right now, but yet that gives me more drive to get to where I want to be ... sooner rather than later."

Newton, who has recorded 14,426 passing yards, 92 passing touchdowns, 54 interceptions, 2,571 rushing yards and 33 rushing TDs in four regular seasons, is guaranteed $60 million in the new deal.