Panthers Notebook: Peppers noncommittal on his future

■ Defensive end Julius Peppers shrugged off questions about his future yesterday in the aftermath of the Panthers' season-ending 33-13 playoff loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night.

Peppers is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this winter, and he said that there have been no talks with the team on a new contract recently.

"I really have not thought about this," Peppers said as the team dispersed after a meeting with Coach John Fox. "I've thought about it, but I really haven't sat down and just weighed all the pros and cons of what could happen and what options they have and I have. It's not really something I wasted time thinking about.

"I was trying to focus everything on winning games. Now's the time to think about it, and when I come down to a decision or they come down to a decision, you'll know about it."

The Panthers have said they would like to sign Peppers to a long-term contract. They could also retain him by putting their "franchise" tag on him, but that would require paying him just less than $17 million next season. If Peppers is intent on signing elsewhere, the Panthers could also work what amounts to a sign-and-trade deal.

When asked point-blank if he wanted to come back to the Panthers next season, Peppers dodged the question and seemed to leave open the scenario for a sign and trade.

"Ideally, I want to be in the best situation possible for myself and this organization," he said. "I'm thankful for everything they've done for me, and I don't want to leave them crippled or in a bad situation. I don't want to do that."

Peppers had 141/2 sacks during the regular season and made the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his career.

■ Linebacker Jon Beason was among those yesterday who were still trying to comprehend Saturday night's loss.

"It's a harsh reality," Beason said. "It's amazing how one second you're on top of the world and the next second you're packing your stuff. It's a learning experience and there are some things we can do differently the next time. We're a young team and we'll be back."

Beason will make his first trip to the Pro Bowl next month, but he said he won't use his tickets to attend the Super Bowl in Tampa.

"I want to experience it professionally," Beason said. "If I don't ever play in the Super Bowl, I will never attend one."

■ The Panthers gained 75 yards rushing in the loss to the Cardinals, and 41 of those yards came on the first series of the game, a five-play, 50-yard drive capped by Jonathan Stewart's 9-yard touchdown run.

DeAngelo Williams had a 31-yard run on the first series, but finished with 63 yards on 12 carries. Stewart finished with 12 yards on three carries.

"The first drive, we marched right down the field," fullback Brad Hoover said. "It almost seemed like it was too easy at times. We were really moving it on them really well. I think what was the turning point in maybe giving their defense a little confidence was when we tried third-and-two (on the next possession) and didn't make it. They got the ball back and scored, and then on our next possession we had the fumble, and then they scored again."

Hoover admitted he was frustrated that the Panthers never got back to running effectively, although he stressed that he wasn't second-guessing.

"Our plan was to try to run the ball on them," he said. "That's what we've hung our hats on all year, being successful in the running game. And I still think we could have done it."

Williams and Stewart declined interview requests as they left Bank of America Stadium yesterday afternoon.

■ Linebacker Landon Johnson spent Saturday night in a Charlotte hospital after being carted off the field in the fourth quarter with multiple leg injuries.

"There are no breaks, no torn tendons," Fox said. "I think he just had a couple of muscle pulls that were pretty painful. I don't remember the exact names, but the hip and groin. I think it's something he should recover from, but he was pretty much in pain last night when he left here."