Panthers give C/G Larsen two-year extension

The Carolina Panthers addressed the future of their offensive line on Wednesday, signing center/guard Tyler Larsen to a two-year extension. Larsen was set to make $630,000 in the final year of his deal before becoming a restricted free agent in the spring. According to multiple reports, the extension is worth $4.4 million, with $1.4 million in guarantees and an additional $1 million available via incentives. "I'm excited and grateful. It's a little overwhelming," Larsen told the team's website. "It just leaves me more hungry. I know I can really do more in my career." Larsen serves as backup to starting center Ryan Kalil, but could be used more elsewhere on the line with right tackle Daryl Williams out for the season and guard Amini Silatolu set for knee surgery. He could be a long-term option to replace the 12th-year veteran Kalil, who has said he plans to retire after the 2018 season. "Yeah, if that's how the cards play out," Larsen said when asked about being the Panthers' center of the future. "I'm ready for whatever challenges are ahead." The Panthers signed Larsen, 27, in 2016, two years after he went undrafted out of Utah State. He's started 15 of the 23 games he's appeared in for the Panthers, including 10 last year in relief of an injured Kalil. --Field Level Media