Robert Hunt to sign huge, 5-year deal with Panthers

We got us a Hog Molly

The Carolina Panthers have agreed to terms on a 5-year, $100 million deal with former Miami Dolphins guard Robert Hunt. The contract reportedly has $63 million guaranteed. The 2020 2nd round pick is now headed to Charlotte.

Hunt is a talented, 27-year old player whose departure from Miami has been characterized by fans and reporters alike as nothing short of a loss for the Dolphins. Their current “cap-tastrophe” is the only reason Hunt was allowed to hit the open market.

In four years with the Dolphins, Hunt started 55 of 61 games. He spent time at both right tackle and right guard. It is unclear just yet what this signing means for either Austin Corbett or Brady Christensen. The team is still in the market for a center after this signing, as they have signaled their intention to release Bradley Bozeman within the next week.

Spending $20 million per year on just one guard With $63 million guaranteed over five years, the Panthers are basically doubling what they are spending on the offensive guard position with one signing. This will immediately vault the Panthers into top of the league spending at guard if no other changes are made at $20+ million for the year (depending on how this year’s cap hit is structured). The NFL average before this free agency period, per spotrac.com, was $12.9 million for the entire group. The Indianapolis Colts and the Kansas City Chiefs led the NFL prior to this signing with $30.3 million spent at the position.

The final structure of the contract, including Hunt’s 2024 cap number, have not yet been released.