July 23rd, 2009 
Matt Loede 
Posted in ESPN’s Insider section just did a full-scale blowout about the salary cap for each and every team around the league. Here’s what they had to say on the Panthers:
2009 Salary Cap: $129,832,443
Player with Highest Cap Number: DE Julius Peppers ($19,418,000; 15.0 percent of cap)
Highest Cap Number for a Player No Longer with Club: CB Ken Lucas ($8,330,000; 6.4 percent of cap; fourth-highest on club)
Player Who Has to Live Up to Cap Number: QB Jake Delhomme ($8,591,670; 6.6 percent of cap; third-highest cap number on club)
2009 was set to be Delhomme’s final contract year. Then, in late April, Delhomme and Carolina agreed to a three-year contract extension (with options to make it a five-year extension) that guarantees Delhomme $19 million. The 34-year-old Delhomme is now signed through age 39. A $19 million guarantee at this stage of his career, coupled with his questionable productivity in 2008, is a windfall for Delhomme. By comparison, Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner also got a $19 million guarantee this offseason. Unlike Delhomme, he is coming off a trip to the Super Bowl.
Tags: 
