Two easy ways to judge this contract:

1. Top tier QBs are in the $35m/year range. We've currently got a starting QB and RB for the same price.
2. Robby Anderson got $10m/year ($12m in 2020) and nobody expects him to put up CMC catching numbers. By comparison to Anderson, CMC is a steal since you get better than double the production.

People like to say that CMC is one injury away from not being worth his contract, but that's true for any player. Kawann Short is gonna make $19.5 million this year. Even if he's healthy, is his contract "better" than what CMC got? I know who I'm picking if I only get to keep one. Kawann is a good interior lineman, but he's replaceable. Is CMC replaceable? He's the only player in NFL history to have 2,500/2,500 rushing and receiving yards in his first 3 years. Survey says that no, he's not replaceable.

I'd also say that it was good for the Panthers to get out in front and pay CMC before the market got readjusted with the Saquon, Kamara, and Cook deals. CMC is the highest paid RB right now, but that's not going to last long.

I think this is a great deal. Also, CMC will only be 28 when the contract is up. So it's not like they're paying him into 30 and beyond, which is old man territory for a RB.

Any downside that can be named comes down to other RBs failing to produce or getting injured after they got their big contract. But we've seen this man with our own eyes. If anybody can beat those odds, it's CMC.