CHARLOTTE, N.C. – With the Panthers in the midst of a roster overhaul, Christian McCaffrey could have forced his way out of Carolina in hopes of finding a team better prepared to challenge for a Super Bowl title.
But the All-Pro running back said that notion never crossed his mind. Instead, he signed a four-year, $64 million contract extension last week that makes him the NFL’s highest-paid running back and the face of the Panthers franchise now that quarterback Cam Newton and linebacker Luke Kuechly are gone. “I never focused on signing somewhere else — it never occurred to me,” McCaffrey said during a video conference call Monday. “I want to be in Carolina for my whole career. ...