Peppers wants out of Carolina

By: JournalNow Staff | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 10, 2010

CHARLOTTE --

Julius Peppers no longer wants a long-term contract with the Carolina Panthers and said he's irritated that the team has ignored him this offseason.

In an interview yesterday on radio station WFNZ-AM, Peppers, a five-time Pro Bowl defensive end, indicated he's irritated by the team's "silence" and has changed his stance on continuing his career with the Panthers.

"Last year, at the time, that was the option that I wanted most," he said. "Now it's not."

Although agent Carl Carey said last week he thinks that the Panthers aren't interested in retaining Peppers, team officials haven't announced their plans. General Manager Marty Hurney didn't return a phone message yesterday.

"How can you say you want to be somewhere when you're not really sure if they want you there because they're not even talking to you?" Peppers said.

It's another twist in a long-running saga between the sides.

Although Peppers had a career-low 2½ sacks in 2007, the Panthers still offered to make him the NFL's highest-paid defensive player. Peppers provided conflicting reasons yesterday on why he rejected that contract.

"That deal was to make me the highest-paid defensive player, but slightly, very slightly," he said. "I didn't really feel the sincerity behind that deal."

But later in the rambling answer, Peppers also indicated he wasn't worthy of such a deal.

"I had 2½ sacks that season, and they're coming to offer me being the highest-paid defensive player. Like, I can't even accept that," Peppers said. "I'm not deserving of that."

Peppers followed with a career-high 14½ sacks in 2008, then announced he wanted to play elsewhere and pleaded with the Panthers to let him leave in free agency. He said yesterday he wanted out because he was upset with the team's direction under then-defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac.

"In my eyes I didn't see us getting any better on that side of the ball," Peppers said. "I felt like it was time to try somewhere else, do something else. But things changed. They brought in new people."

Trgovac and Sal Sunseri, defensive line coach, left. Ron Meeks took over the defense, and Brian Baker replaced Sunseri. The Panthers also put the restrictive franchise tag on Peppers, limiting his options in free agency.

"I never felt that they did that with the intent to keep me here," Peppers said. "I felt like they did that in attempt to send me off somewhere else to get compensation, draft picks or whatever."

There was no deal, and Peppers eventually changed his tune, beginning negotiations on a long-term contract. But a deal couldn't be reached and Peppers played under the one-year tender worth an NFL-high $16.7 million. After recording 10½ sacks, he made the Pro Bowl and got a $1.5 million bonus.

The Panthers could use the franchise tag again in 2010, but it would include a 20 percent raise. Peppers would be due $20.1 million, plus another $1.5 million Pro Bowl bonus and $250,000 for each playoff victory. Carolina also could use the franchise tag and try to trade Peppers, but Peppers would almost certainly have to agree to a long-term deal with the new team.

Several clubs, such as Philadelphia and New England, could be interested. Despite his 81 sacks in eight seasons, Peppers, 30, has a murky future. The Panthers have until Feb. 25 to use the franchise tag.

"The silence says a lot without saying anything," Peppers said. "That is kind of a turnoff."