More Delhomme Articles

[The Brain]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/football/nfl/carolina_panthers/8952365.htm

Delhomme ours for $38 million
Cajun QB goes long in 5-year extension
TOM SORENSEN

Jake Delhomme, who has lived in an upscale Charlotte apartment complex since he became a Carolina Panther last season, signed a five-year contract extension worth about $38 million Thursday. So now he probably can afford a house.
"We bought one a couple weeks ago," Delhomme said by cell phone Thursday afternoon on the trip from Bank of America Stadium to his home in Breaux Bridge, La.

You're rich. You have to buy something. How about a Maserati or a Porsche?

"Oh, no," Delhomme said from the front seat of his Chevrolet Suburban. "Sports cars scare me."

But if he lined up against one on the field next season, he wouldn't be scared. He might even talk a little Cajun trash.

Delhomme is a fearless quarterback. His job is to manage the offense rather than win games with it. But he wants to go deep. He gambles because the throws don't feel like gambles to him. He believes. He'll make mistakes. And he'll win.

And he'll be with a collection of Panthers who are sticking around under contract extensions, including Coach John Fox, receiver Steve Smith and kicker John Kasay.

Delhomme is as gracious as he was when the Panthers signed him. If there's arrogance, I haven't seen it.

On the morning the Panthers signed him in March 2003, I called the team's publicity department and asked to talk to Delhomme. He called within 15 minutes.

He was unheralded then, a lifetime reserve brought in to eventually become the Panthers' starter. Now he's the man who helped the Panthers to the Super Bowl and almost helped them win it. He has become the most famous Cajun quarterback in the history of Cajun quarterbacks. Breaux Bridge, which had been known for crawfish, now is known for him.

Because I don't have Delhomme's cell phone number, I called the Panthers' publicity department Thursday and asked to talk to him. This time, he called within five minutes.

If Charlotte is a place you care about, you want athletes you can cheer without feeling guilty. You want athletes to which you can say, "Great work," or, "Nice to meet you," and not worry about getting blown off.

Although he is the most celebrated athlete in our town, Delhomme is such an athlete. His wife, Keri, with whom he grew up on the bayou, has a similar style. They don't act like royalty. He's a regular guy who happened, at the age of 29, to become a star.

The Delhommes live modestly in Breaux Bridge. There's one road into the town and one road out, so you have to drive past his house. I drove by twice. It does not look like the home of a Super Bowl quarterback. Special teams, I thought.

Maybe fancy homes also scare him. Or maybe he doesn't need to prove he has money.

Breaux Bridge will remain home for Jake and Keri and their daughter, Lauren. Delhomme can throw a spiral from his place to the house of his parents and the house of his brother.

But as his new contract and new digs attest, he has dug in here, too. That's good for the Panthers. And it's good for Charlotte.

 

[The Brain]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/football/nfl/carolina_panthers/8952340.htm

Delhomme to stay at home
Panthers give him a 5-year, $38 million contract extension
STAN OLSON
Staff Writer

Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme signed a five-year, $38 million contract extension Thursday that he hopes will keep him in Panthers' black and blue for the remainder of his career.
Delhomme, who led Carolina to the Super Bowl in his first year as an NFL starter, received $12 million in bonuses as part of the signing package.

General manager Marty Hurney made the announcement Thursday morning, standing beside the Bank of America practice fields following the final workout of the Panthers' three weeks of voluntary "summer school" sessions.

"It's a five-year extension so it's a six-year deal," Hurney said of the deal, which is tacked on to the year remaining in Delhomme's original agreement. "We're just thrilled to have him here, hopefully for the rest of his career."

Hurney said Delhomme would sign the new deal once they returned to the stadium. Then he turned the proceedings over to Delhomme, who was still sweating from the workout.

"I'm not going to shower; I'm going to go right up and sign it," Delhomme said, smiling. "It's kind of a dream come true. The good Lord put me here in Carolina and it's just been a great fit. I'm happy as can be here; my family's happy as can be.

"I'm 29 years old and I don't see myself playing in another color; I want to retire a Panther and hopefully I can do that."

Delhomme's original contract is worth $1.37 million plus a $100,000 workout bonus for the coming season. He counts $3.52 million against the team's salary cap this year because of about $2 million in incentives earned last season.

By comparison, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady signed a four-year extension after his team's Super Bowl victory in 2001 worth about $30 million.

The extension is comparable to the third-largest deal in Panthers' history, tackle Jordan Gross' seven-year, $38 million package. It trails the deals of defensive end Julius Peppers (about $50 million for seven years, and former defensive tackle Sean Gilbert ($46.5 million for seven years).

"The negotiations were real smooth," said Rick Smith, Delhomme's agent, adding that the plan all along was to complete them before camp. "The Panthers are a class organization, and this is a win-win for everybody."

Getting the deal done before training camp begins in late July allows Delhomme to concentrate on football.

"I've never been in that (contract) situation but I've been around guys that I don't think they perform their best if there's a contract lingering over them," he said. "They'll get upset one day and that can affect their performance. Now having that behind me, it's just total football when camp starts."

Later, after Delhomme had headed toward Hurney's office to seal the deal, coach John Fox was asked what the signing meant.

"Everybody in the league is trying to identify their quarterback, and when you identify him, getting him locked up for the future is paramount to success," he said. "It was something I really believed would happen; as far as when, I didn't know.

"I'm glad it happened before we all get away from here to kind of rest our minds before the football season starts."

Delhomme was undrafted out of college and eventually became a longtime backup with New Orleans. The Panthers brought him in last year and he won the starting job, leading the team to wins on eight final-possession drives during the season.

He threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns in a last-minute 32-29 loss to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

In the regular season, he threw for 3,219 yards with 19 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

Now comes the reward.

"You know coming out of college undrafted, you're just trying to hang on by a thread," Delhomme said. "Lucky enough, I did, and it's funny how things work out.

"I'm one who likes to stay grounded; I don't want to move around a lot. I was in one place for awhile and I want to spend the rest of the time in this place. Things work out for a reason. The big man upstairs has a plan for you. I just got lucky that I came here."

 

[The Brain]

http://www.gastongazette.com/Portal/ASP/sports/panthers/PanthersDisplay.asp?ID=812

Delhomme gets five-year extension worth $38 million

By: Steve Reed
Gazette Sports Reporter

​

CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Panthers rewarded Super Bowl quarterback Jake Delhomme with a five-year contract extension on Thursday worth $38 million, according to his agent Rick Smith of Priority Sports.

Smith said Delhomme will receive $12 million in up front money, which includes a signing bonus and more in option bonuses.

Delhomme had one year remaining on his current two-year contract, but the team ripped up that deal and signed him to a new six-year contract that will keep him a Panther through the 2009 season.

“It’s kind of a dream come true,” Delhomme said after Thursday’s practice. “When you’re coming out of college undrafted, you’re just trying to hang on by a thread. Luckily I did. It’s funny how things work out.

“The good Lord put me here in Carolina and it has just been a great fit. I’m happy as I could be and my family is happy as they can be. I’m 29 years old and I don’t see myself playing in another color. I want to retire a Panther.”

Delhomme relieved Rodney Peete at halftime of the first game of the season against Jacksonville and led the team back from a 17-point deficit to win 24-23.

He started 19 straight games after that, leading the Panthers to playoff victories over Dallas, St. Louis and Philadelphia. Delhomme likely would have been the MVP of Super Bowl XXXVIII had the Panthers not lost 32-29 to the New England Patriots. In that game, he threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns, including a Super Bowl record 85-yard completion to Muhsin Muhammad.

In the regular season, Delhomme threw for 3,219 yards with 19 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

The deal came on the final day of the team’s three-week minicamp.

“Everybody in the league is trying identify their quarterback and when you identify that guy, getting him locked up for the future is paramount to your success,” Panthers head coach John Fox said. “So I think it was something I believed would happen. I’m glad it happened before we got away from here.”

Delhomme thanked the Richardson family for the extension, and then gave credit to the guys closest to him.

“My teammates helped me get this more than anyone else,” he said.

The extension was not unexpected and it was something both sides wanted to complete the deal before heading to training camp. Delhomme especially was relieved to get it done.

“I’ve been around guys who haven’t performed their best with a contract lingering over their heads,” Delhomme said. “Having that behind me, now it’s just total football when training camp starts. I’m excited to get it done. I think I have found me a home here. I want to finish up here.”

The Panthers have been successful this off-season in wrapping up two of their big offensive playmakers to long-term deals. Earlier this spring Delhomme’s favorite target, Steve Smith, signed a six-year, $28 million contract. “I never expected that I was going to come in and sign a big deal,” said Delhomme, who chose Carolina over Dallas in free agency last year. “I had two years and I wanted to come in and be a productive NFL starter and hopefully find a home. People who know me know I don’t like to move around a lot. I was in one place for awhile and now I want to stick around here.”

 

[The Brain]

Delhomme gets deal
Panthers sign quarterback to five-year extension
By DARIN GANTT, The (Rock Hill, S.C.) Herald

Getty Images Photo by Grant Halverson

Jake Delhomme has found a home with Carolina.

CHARLOTTE -- For Jake Delhomme, home is more than a house.

It's a feeling of loyalty, a steadying force that keeps him centered though he stands in the brightest spotlight.

So although he and his wife recently bought a residence in Charlotte, they couldn't officially put down stakes until Thursday, when the Carolina Panthers signed their quarterback to a five-year extension that will keep him in Charlotte through the 2009 season.

The deal is worth up to $38 million over the next six years -- he already was under contract for 2004 -- and includes $12 million in guaranteed bonuses.

Suffice it to say, the former World League backup is established now.

"I think you guys know me well enough -- I don't want to move around a lot," Delhomme said Thursday. "I want to stay grounded. I was in one place for a while, and now I want to stay in this place.

"As everybody knows, the big man upstairs has a plan for you. I just got lucky that I came here."

The Panthers were fortunate to find him, as well. The 29-year-old had thrown a grand total of 86 passes in his first six seasons in the NFL, all with the New Orleans Saints.

He moved to the Panthers last season with a two-year, $4 million deal and hopes of competing for a starting job for the first time as a pro. However, it took Rodney Peete floundering in the opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars for Delhomme to get a shot.

After leading the team to the largest comeback victory in franchise history that day, Delhomme took the job with both hands and made it his own, leading the Panthers to the Super Bowl and showing a knack for making big plays late in games. Delhomme led eight winning drives in fourth quarters or overtime during the regular season, and he was among the top 10 quarterbacks in the league in fourth-quarter passer rating.

His contributions rose beyond the stat sheet; his natural leadership and fiery demeanor provided the soundtrack for the Panthers' Super Bowl run.

"Everybody in the league tries to identify their quarterback, and, once you identify him, getting him locked up for the future is paramount to your success," Panthers coach John Fox said. "It was something that I thought would happen, but, as far as when it would happen, I didn't know. I'm glad it happened before we all get away from here to rest our minds before the football season starts." The Panthers have nine key players signed through the 2008 season and beyond: Delhomme, wide receiver Steve Smith, defensive linemen Julius Peppers, Kris Jenkins and Al Wallace, offensive tackles Jordan Gross and Adam Meadows, kicker John Kasay and long snapper Jason Kyle.

 

[Wp28]

http://www.buzzfans.com/sports/football/panthers/story/3649664p-3251942c.html

Delhomme's deal doesn't compare with the deals signed by first-round draft picks or perennial Pro Bowlers, but is in line with players such as New England's Tom Brady and St. Louis' Marc Bulger.

"I didn't have any expectations going into this deal," Delhomme said. "They came to me and said, 'We're going to try to do this and that.' I had a smile on my face. I said, 'That sounds great. Let's get something done.'"

While the bonus number looks high, it will actually be spread out over three years.

The structure of the deal provides the Panthers with some cover in case the Delhomme of last year doesn't hold up for the future. As well as he played leading the Panthers to the Super Bowl, last year was the only year he's ever had more than mop-up duty.

But the Panthers are confident those days are over, and can prepare to defend their NFC title knowing their quarterback should be here for the rest of his career.

There won't be too much in the way of celebration for Delhomme. After a quick family vacation on Florida's Gulf Coast, he'll have a short break before reporting to training camp on July 30.

After he reports to camp, his wife Keri will do most of the work setting up their new South Charlotte house. And by the time camp breaks, he'll be settled in.

He'll be home.

 

[law1ng2b2]

It is not all positive...

an article from Pete Prisco at CBS Sportsline:

Notes: Panthers jumped gun in Delhomme deal
June 17, 2004
By Pete Prisco
SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Pete your opinion!



Insider | Notes
There are two words the Carolina Panthers should have considered strongly before giving Jake Delhomme the long-term extension they signed him to Thursday:

Tommy Maddox.

The Panthers obviously didn't consider that name because if they had there's no way they would have signed Delhomme to a five-year contract extension that could be worth a reported $38 million, with a $12 million signing bonus.


Jake Delhomme waited a long time for his chance, and has cashed in.(AP)
Delhomme had one year left on his current deal, and was scheduled to make $1.37 million this season. Coming off a season in which he led the Panthers to a Super Bowl, one might say he was woefully underpaid. But when he signed that two-year, $4 million deal as a free agent before the 2003 season, he had two NFL starts on his resume. His highlights came in NFL Europe, so it was fair-market value for a player of his ability.

And that's where the issue comes in. Does one good year, perhaps making him a one-year wonder, warrant a new deal of this magnitude? And was it really that good a year? His passer rating was only 80.6 and he threw 16 interceptions compared to 19 touchdowns.

Should the Panthers have waited until sometime during the season to see if Delhomme was the real thing? The thinking here is yes.

What's the rush?

The Steelers were faced with a similar situation with Maddox last year. He had come out of nowhere -- he actually came from working at his insurance business and then the XFL -- to become a feel-good story of 2002. That season, he helped lead the Steelers into the playoffs as he rejuvenated what was once supposed to be a golden career.

Naturally, there was talk last year about how he was underpaid, that it was time for the Steelers to give him a long-term contract extension, do the right thing and wipe out his low-paying contract.

Pittsburgh wisely did not.

The Steelers went 6-10 last year and Maddox didn't play as well as he had the year before. Sure, the offensive line wasn't as good and the running game struggled, but he was not the same player.

One-year wonder?

The Steelers must think there's some truth to that since they went out and drafted Ben Roethlisberger in the first round of this year's draft. What if they had given that long-term extension to Maddox last summer?

Delhomme's situation is different. For starters, he had just this year left on his contract, so free agency would have been an option if the Panthers could not get a new deal done if he does play well again. The franchise tag is also there to keep him around if he played well and new deal could not get worked out.

Delhomme is also younger than Maddox, which means something, but not as much as you would think. Maddox is 33, Delhomme 29.

The Panthers had a magical season last year, one where it seemed that everything went right. But the offensive line is now more of a concern than last year, and teams will be gunning for the NFC champs every week. That changes things in a big way. Ask division foe Tampa Bay.

There will be none of that sneak-up-on-the-other-guy stuff this season.

That's why waiting to give the quarterback a new deal makes sense. What happens if the Panthers get off to a 1-4 start and Delhomme is struggling? Won't they regret this move? Wasn't it a summer ago when he was the team's No. 2 quarterback, failing to beat out Rodney Peete for the job?

Heck, there was even talk that Chris Weinke outplayed him last summer, and only at the insistence of offensive coordinator Dan Henning did the Panthers not go with Weinke.

Let's say Carolina does not sign Delhomme to this new contract. Is that a big deal? This is a guy who was happy to have a starting job a year ago. He isn't going to sit out or grumble or moan and become a distraction.

Under that scenario, if he plays well his value goes up, but not much more than the deal he signed Thursday.

The risk-reward isn't worth it for the Panthers.

We're all for players getting as much as they can, especially nice guys like Delhomme, but this one calls for a head scratch.

As one team's front-office exec said last week, "We hope they give him that new contract. It's a mistake."

"Wow," said another team's front-office exec Thursday after hearing about the deal.

Credit the Panthers for being proactive, but this is a gamble through and through. Call it the tale of two Toms. Will Delhomme be the next Tommy Maddox or the next Tom Brady, a quarterback who has disproved any one-year wonder talk, winning a second Super Bowl last year?

Or is this Delhomme contract simply another case of Tom-foolery?

Check back in six months. We'll all know the real answer then. For now, he's Jake the Rake, taking in a big, fat pot of winnings.

Is it a bluff, or does this guy really have the hand to win?

 

[rake]

Damn, that's exactly what I just posted about in the other thread . . . And it’s a kick to see "Jake the Rake" in his article.

 

[The Brain]

Notes: Panthers jumped gun in Delhomme deal
June 17, 2004
By Pete Prisco

Differences are that Maddox was still a good player but Pittsburg's coaching staffed didn't plan the game plan correctly. That's the reason for the 6-10 season. Maddox shouldn't be blamed for that. Furthermore Jake said enough when he said I've seen guy that were in contract years and it caused a distraction. This eliminates that. This also shows the team and the fans that the Panthers brass will reward a player and keep him here to continue the team's winning. Then again maybe that's why Pete Prisco writes about football franchises and doesn't run one.

 

[RangerRick]

Pete "The Prick" Prisco will almost always take the negative side to anything concerning the Panthers.

 

[hasbeen99]

Maddox and Delhomme couldn't be more different if they tried. They have different styles, different strengths, and Maddox doesn't have a tenth of the heart and drive that Jake does. Plus, Tommy is hamstrung by the Steelers organization that changes OC's every year and he's playing in an offense that's still trying to define itself. That team is short on talent and long on ego -- almost a mirror image of the Panthers.