Panthers Speak on Peppers Situation

By now, it’s hard to imagine Julius Peppers going anywhere for this upcoming football season. He’s been slapped with a hefty franchise tag and hasn’t lured in any big bites while fishing for a new contract, so now the question that remains is not where Peppers will go in 2009 but when he will show up. Coach John Fox has reiterated several times over the past couple months that he fully expects Julius Peppers to show up at the team’s mandatory training camp starting August 2 in South Carolina, but what will happen once the disgruntled defensive end rejoins the team he spurned earlier this offseason?

“Personally, I’ll give him a high five and a hug and then I’ll start worrying about one-on-ones in practice,” left tackle Jordan Gross said. “He’ll be fresh and ready to go. Everybody will be happy to see him. It’s no big deal to us.” Gross went on to talk about Peppers’ humble nature, also saying that the Panthers will welcome his return to the team for the upcoming season. “He’ll be back, and he’ll be ready to play. I think when he gets that first sack, everybody will forgive him.” Will the Peppers saga have a fairytale ending, after all? We doubt it, but let’s see what 2009 brings for the Carolina Panthers.

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