It's not every day that a punter gets paid.
Count Oct. 2, 2018, as one of those days. The Carolina Panthers are signing punter Michael Palardy to a three-year extension, the team announced. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported it is a $7.52 million contract extension with a $2 million signing bonus.
Palardy joined the Panthers after traveling a winding punting path, getting cut by seven different teams before landing with Carolina in 2016. He found his way to Carolina (a second time) with an odd relation to Andy Lee, the Browns punter who was traded to Carolina after giving minimal effort on a punt return touchdown in the preseason. Palardy replaced Lee temporarily, but was waived at the end of the preseason, signing with the Atlanta Falcons as a practice squad member a month later.
Lee, then in Carolina, suffered an injury in November, forcing the Panthers to turn to Palardy. He's since appeared in 26 games, punting 121 times for an average of 45 yards (net average of 41.1 yards).
