Having the opportunity to sign a contract extension that is worth up to $100 million is pretty remarkable. Only a few players in the NFL have reached this “$100 million status.” But with big contracts, comes big expectations.

Cam Newton now has even bigger expectations from the media, fans, and his franchise after the Carolina Panthers signed him to a five year extension worth up to $103.8 million. This included a $20.75 million average salary, and $60 million guaranteed. This extension by the Panthers put Newton with a special group of quarterbacks who average over $20 million per season and have contracts worth up to at least $100 million. This list includes: Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, and Drew Brees.

Newton deserves to be in this $100 million group because of who he is, what he has accomplished, and what he will accomplish with the Carolina Panthers. He is one of the most athletically gifted quarterbacks in the NFL because of his combination of size, speed, and strength. He was the 2011 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, broke several rookie quarterback records, has two NFC South Titles, and has played in three playoff games. But even with all of this success he only has a sub .500 career record of 30-31-1. That is why I think this new contract extension had a lot to do with his intangibles and potential.

After accomplishing all of this before the contract extension, what comes next for Newton and the Carolina Panthers?

Both Dave Gettleman and Ron Rivera believe that Cam Newton is their franchise quarterback, and that he can take them to the Promised Land. My expectations for Cam are that he must take the Panthers to the playoffs and get them to the Super Bowl within the next three seasons. But let’s see what happened to the other quarterbacks in this group after they signed their new contract.

Joe Flacco (6 years, $120.6 million)

What did he do to deserve this?

Joe Flacco was just a normal starting quarterback before winning the Super Bowl for the Baltimore Ravens in 2012. I guess the Ravens got a little excited and decided to throw a lot of money at Joe. He won them a Super Bowl, was Super Bowl MVP, and had an overall regular season record of 54-26.

What has he done since the contract extension?

After signing the extension Flacco had one of the worst seasons of his career and threw more interceptions than touchdowns. The Ravens missed the playoffs and finished the season 8-8. He turned it around in 2014 and led the Ravens to the playoffs, and finished the season 10-6. Flacco and the Ravens finally got their first playoff win at Heinz Field and he had a career year with 91.0 passer rating.

Aaron Rodgers (5 years, $110 million)

What did he do to deserve this?

The Green Bay Packer hit the jackpot when Aaron Rodgers took over at quarterback. In his five years with the team before this contract, he led them to a Super Bowl title, was NFL MVP, and had an overall record of 53-27.

What has he done since the contract extension? 

Since the extension the Packers have had a regular season record of 20-11. He has led them to two divisional titles, a conference championship, and won the NFL MVP award in 2014.

Matt Ryan (5 years, $103.75 million)

What did he do to deserve this?

Matt Ryan has had the least amount of success out this group of quarterbacks in the postseason. But he has been very successful in the regular season with a career record of 56-22. He was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2008, a two time Pro Bowler, and has an NFC South title.

What has he done since the contract extension?

The Falcons overall have struggled since Ryan’s extension. They have failed to make the playoffs in back to back seasons with an overall record of 10-22. Even though the Falcons have struggled, Matt Ryan has flourished statistically. Over the past two seasons he has averaged 4,604.5 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, 15.5 interceptions, and had passer rating of 91.75.

Drew Brees (5 years, $100 million)

What did he do to deserve this?

Drew Brees did the best he could to help the fans of the New Orleans Saints forget about Hurricane Katrina in 2006 by winning the NFC South. He took them to their first NFC South Championship game that season but lost the Chicago Bears. Brees has been the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, NFC MVP, Super Bowl Champion, and has broken several passing records.

What has he done since the contract extension?

Since Brees signed his contract extension he hasn’t been back to the playoffs. But has had an overall record of 18-14. He also has thrown 115 touchdowns and posted a passer rating of 99.3. On top of that he has led the league in passing yards twice, and touchdowns once while never going below a passer rating of 96.0.

What are your expectations for Cam Newton after reading about the other quarterbacks in this group?

By Justin Raymond

Follow Me On Twitter @JayRay19