The Carolina Panthers Paid Their Star Receiver $5 Million To Go Away And It Blew Up In Their Face

Five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Steve Smith was cut this past summer after 13 seasons with the Carolina Panthers, a move that is coming back to haunt the team big time.

After being cut, Smith signed a 3-year, $10.5 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens and will make $4.5 million this season including his $3.5 million signing bonus.

But more importantly, the Panthers are still paying Smith $5 million this season while he is scoring touchdowns for the Ravens, touchdowns the Panthers could really use right now.

So far this season, Smith has caught 53 passes for 817 yards and five touchdowns.

After cutting Smith, the Panthers signed veteran Jerricho Cotchery, who has just 32 catches for 433 yards and has no touchdowns. The Panthers did draft rookie Kelvin Benjamin who has caught 52 passes for 768 yards and eight touchdowns.

Now, the Panthers are just 3-7-1 and quarterback Cam Newton is having the worst season of his career without his trusty veteran receiver.

If the Panthers had just one more win, they would be in first place in the woeful NFC South and would have a good shot at the playoffs.

Cutting Smith did save the Panthers some money. If the Panthers had kept Smith, they would have paid him $5 million, but there would have been an addition $2 million in a future guaranteed bonus. In addition, he would have counted as $7 million against the salary cap this season instead of $5 million.

But looking back now, the Panthers probably wish they spent the extra $2 million for Smith's leadership and production as it could mean the difference between making the playoffs or staying home.