On Thursday, the Carolina Panthers announced via Twitter, that two of the greatest to wear black and blue, in their respective positions, will be returning home.
Long-time linebacker Thomas Davis Sr will be signing a one-day contract, on March 11th, to retire as a Panther. Davis Sr, who was drafted by Carolina in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, played in the Queen City for 13 seasons before parting ways with the franchise in 2018. The all-pro linebacker went on to play for the Chargers in 2019 and reunite with former head coach Ron Rivera at Washington in 2020, his final season.
In 199 starts, Davis Sr has 1,214 total tackles, 29 sacks, 18 forced fumbles, 11 fumble recoveries, 13 interceptions, and 55 passes defended. Unbelievably, Davis Sr has come back from three ACL tears.
Long-time tight end Greg Olsen, who recently became the newest member of the NFL on FOX broadcast crew, will be joining his former teammate next Thursday. Olsen was picked up by the Panthers after being released by the Chicago Bears in 2011. Olsen made an immediate impact as former Panther quarterback Cam Newton referred to the tight end as his favorite target. Olsen became the first TE in NFL history to have three straight seasons of 1,000 receiving yards (2013-2015) and, along with his wife Kara, founded the HEARTest Yard Foundation in Charlotte, to help children born with congenital heart disease. Like Davis Sr, Olsen was released by Carolina, in 2019. He would play for the Seattle Seahawks in his final season.
In 199 starts, Olsen has 8,683 receiving yards off of 742 catches and 60 touchdowns, with an average of 11.7 yards per catch.