The Carolina Panthers gave Jalen Coker a three-year, $35 million extension.
Jalen Coker is relieved that the Carolina Panthers signed him to an extension before training camp.
The WR didn't want to think about his contract while the team broke away for the summer.
"I think that's kind of it, like just get it out of the way, just be able to play ball," Coker said, via Panthers.com. "Not worried about any of that kind of stuff that takes me away from the field."
Coker was an exclusive rights free agent this year and was set to be a restricted free agent in 2027. Now, he'll stick in Carolina through at least the 2029 season. The new deal could rise to as much as $41 million with incentives.
For the Panthers last season, Coker had 33 receptions for 394 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in 11 games. The 24-year-old had a breakout performance in Carolina's NFC wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams with nine catches for 124 yards and a touchdown.
Coker enters next season with 65 receptions, 872 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns in the NFL. He joined the Panthers in 2024 as an undrafted free agent.
"It was a huge opportunity for me," Coker admitted. "Your dream is to always go get to the NFL, of course, but to stay around and to continue to contribute and to make an impact every Sunday, that's always been my goal.
"This wasn't the end of my story. This isn't where I want to be finished at. I just want to continue to build, continue to do good things for this organization down the line. Hopefully, I can stay for eight more years. I didn't want it to be like I finally made it, I can relax, I can take the foot off the gas a little bit. No, now I've got to prove it even more."
Coker will continue to catch passes from QB Bryce Young in 2026. Young finished the 2025 season with 3,011 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 216 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. He led the Panthers to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 campaign.
The first overall pick in the 2023 draft, Young enters next season with 8,291 passing yards, 49 passing touchdowns, 30 interceptions, 718 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in a Carolina uniform. He's 14-30-0 as a starter.
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