The Carolina Panthers recently signed a two year contract extension with center Ryan Kalil that will last through the 2018 season. Panthers G.M. Dave Gettleman spoke on the matter by saying “Ryan is still playing at an extremely high level and was very deservedly an All-Pro again in 2015,”. Gettleman continued by stating “Ryan is a great leader. In 2014, he was instrumental in keeping that offensive line group together. That group had a lot of young players and there were moving parts because of injuries, but Ryan helped them maintain their confidence and that was a big part of us winning five of our last six games. On and off the field, Ryan is a pro’s pro and we’re all very excited about this.”
Kalil is currently tied for having the most pro-bowl appearances of any Panther after making his fifth appearance back in 2015. Last season, the center also earned All-Pro Honors for the third time in his career and, as a team captain, he led an offensive line that allowed Carolina to be ranked second in the NFL with an impressive 142.6 rushing yards per game. “This team, this franchise, it’s part of my family,” Kalil said. “I’m blessed to be able to finish my career here. I couldn’t ask for anything more. It’s just an incredible organization from the top down.”
Kalil has spent his entire NFL career with The Panthers and inn that time he’s managed to play in 118 regular season games with 115 starts, the second-most all-time for a Panthers offensive lineman behind Jordan Gross’s 167 games played and started from 2003-13. “This extension gives Ryan a chance to finish his career in Carolina which I think is tremendous,” stated head coach Ron Rivera. “It also keeps continuity on the offensive line. He’s a leader on this football team and he’s a man of tremendously high character, the type of guy you want in the locker room.”
