Will Rucker Retire?

With things kinda slow, I had to go back a few days to find this story, but I’ve been keeping it in my back pocket for just such a day.  It appears that defensive end Mike Rucker has yet to make a decision on retirement.  The 32-year-old’s future in the National Football League is still in doubt, though he is still in the thinking through process.  Rucker has been a big deal for the Panthers since they drafed him back in 1999, but his knee surgery seems to have had lasting effect on his ability to play the game at the same high levels he reached in the first seven years of his career.

With Rucker’s numbers declining after his knee surgery, there is talk that he would have to accept a backup role for the Panthers next year.  This is a tough pill to swallow for any man’s pride, but for a gamer like Rucker, this may simply be too much to ask of him.  Rucker wants to be out there every down, starting, setting the example.  It remains to be seen if he can accept a lesser role with the Panthers.  Whatever Rucker decides, nothing can take away from all he has done for the Carolina Panthers, and he will have the support and admiration of the fans no matter what.

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