The Sports Xchange

The Carolina Panthers and quarterback Cam Newton closed a mega-deal Tuesday on a five-year, $103 million contract extension that runs through the 2020 season.

Newton will receive $67.6 million during the first three years and the extension includes $60 million in guarantees, NFL.com reported.

“I’ve said all along, Cam is our franchise quarterback and we are absolutely thrilled that we got the extension done,” Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman said. “It allows us to do the long-term planning that we need to do to make sure that he’s surrounded with players and that we can continue to build this team.

“The amount of obstacles that Cam had to overcome last year and the way he finished the season, not only physically but more importantly mentally, was key for me. It made me very comfortable doing this deal.”

The 26-year-old Newton, the first pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, has thrown for 14,426 yards, 82 touchdowns and 54 interceptions in his four-year career, leading the Panthers to the postseason each of the last two seasons. His overall record is 30-31-1 and 1-2 in the playoffs. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2011 and 2013 and helped the Panthers to NFC South titles in 2013 and 2014.

“This extension shows the commitment we wanted to make to Cam as our franchise quarterback,” head coach Ron Rivera said. “For me personally, he was the first draft pick we ever made and the first pick in 2011, so it continues to solidify that relationship we have with each other.

“We’ve seen continued growth from Cam. As he continues to get better and better this football team seems to respond to him. He’s shown the type of ability to lead on the football field that we’re looking for. We’ve been to the playoffs two years in a row and it bodes very well for our future. I’m very excited we were able to get the deal done.”

Last season, Newton missed two games because of of injury and passed for 3,127 yards and ran for 539 yards. He became the first player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards in four straight seasons.