There was little doubt that Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis was going to get exactly what he asked for, and the one-year contract extension announced for Davis Tuesday removed what doubt there was.
When you are Mr. Panther personified, and the team’s owner loves you, and you have promised that owner that you will win both you and him a Super Bowl ring before it’s all over, you aren’t going to be playing anywhere else.
But don’t misunderstand me – the Panthers were absolutely correct to do this deal. Davis, 34, is the rarest of anomalies – an NFL player who has survived three ACL surgeries on the same knee and has played the best football of his career in his 30s.