The Carolina Panthers announced on their website today that they have placed the non-exclusive rights franchise tag on defensive tackle Kawann Short. This is a move that has been anticipated for awhile now, and still gives the team time to work out a long term deal without Short becoming a free agent.

The non-exclusive rights part means that KK can still receive an offer sheet from any team in the league once free agency begins. The Panthers can then elect to match that offer, and if they do not, the team that signs him will have to give up two first round picks to the Panthers. If no offer is made, and the franchise tag is signed by Short, he will be paid the average salary of the top five paid players at his position from this past season. That figure is approximately $13.5 million dollars.

Let me help you with that...

$13,500,000

Got it? Good.

Of course, the franchise tag is no guarantee that Kawann Short will be a Panther next year. Dave Gettleman famously rescinded the tag on cornerback Josh Norman last season after the draft, a move that shocked the entire league. This is of course not a typical outcome, but it does mean that it is in play. Assuming that won’t happen again, because it is well known that the Panthers truly consider Short to be a “core guy” we will have KK for at least one more season.

All this author knows is... that’s a crap ton of money.