Because he’s a soft-spoken, rising star who deflects credit rather than seek it, Kawann Short doesn’t seem like someone who’d get caught up in the drama of a contract negotiation. But money is a language everyone understands, and the Carolina Panthers’ Pro Bowl defensive tackle is now using what little leverage NFL players have to send a message.
According to league sources, Short was a no-show for all three of the Panthers’ OTA practices last week. Only Tuesday’s session was open to the media.
Panthers’ spokesman Steven Drummond wouldn’t confirm nor deny Short’s lack of attendance, but he did remind OTAs are technically voluntary. What’s strange is, until last week, Short did participate in the rest of the Panthers’ offseason program.
After a brief pause, negotiations for a long-term contract restarted recently, a source said, and Short’s sudden, unexcused absence is a reaction to where those talks currently stand.
Short isn’t expected to attend the third and final week of OTAs that start on Tuesday, and he could also sit out next week’s minicamp. Because that’s mandatory and not “voluntary,” he’d be facing a possible fine. These practices are unpadded, but players can use this time of year to make a point rather than risk injury under their current contract.
Heading into the final season of his 4-year rookie deal, Short is set to make just over $1 million in 2016. A guy who hasn’t missed a game, and whose 11 sacks last year destroyed a franchise record for most by a defensive tackle, is obviously owed a hefty raise.
"If it happens, it happens, but we haven’t focused on that," Short said last month. "We’re not rushing the issue."
The Panthers made a Short extension their top contract priority as soon as the offseason began, but then Malik Jackson’s free agent jackpot in Jacksonville muddied the market's waters. To many, the cap-rich Jaguars overpaid Jackson with a 6-year deal that reportedly could be worth as much as $90 million, with $42 million guaranteed.
It’s unclear how much Short and his agent Joel Segal are seeking, but it’s likely more than Jackson. They're probably also keeping a close eye on what’s happening in Philadelphia, where Pro Bowl defensive lineman Fletcher Cox has skipped the entire offseason.
Cox, the Eagles’ most dominant player last season, wants a big extension instead of the $7.8 million option on the rookie deal he’s scheduled to play under in 2016. Last September, Cox’s agent Todd France landed Bills' defensive tackle Marcell Dareus a 6-year extension worth a reported $96.6 million, with as much as $60 million guaranteed. Word around the league is France wants to get Cox a better deal than Dareus.
What does that all mean for Short? His ask is likely north of $15 million per season with at least $50 million guaranteed, a neighborhood the Panthers may be hesitant to visit just yet. But while Short can withhold his services now, his leverage will lessen as Week 1 nears.
With summer in Spartanburg less than eight weeks away, that's enough time for some fans to start worrying about the possibility of a training camp holdout. And some concern may be valid considering how general manager Dave Gettleman again proved he's a different type of NFL decision-maker by letting Pro Bowl cornerback Josh Norman walk in April. Even so, it's hard to see Gettleman going to that extreme with Short's situation.
The Panthers are currently sitting on $30.3 million in cap space, and part of their reasoning behind the Norman call was to spend his franchise tag funds on others. That group starts with Short.
So while few saw this snag coming, odds are still good the two sides will eventually hammer out an extension. The unexpected drama likely won't affect anything in-season, plus, we're seeing a new side of Short. As reserved as he often appears, the switch he turns on when he hits the field apparently also applies to the business portion of his job.