Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis used to say that the 2018 season will be his last in the NFL. He’s singing an entirely different tune now, though, as the veteran has been adamant that he still has enough gas in his tank to last beyond the 2018 season.

According to the Panthers’ official website, the 35-year-old Davis had the following to say about his future:

“If the team is willing to have me back, I’ll be back,” Davis said.

For Thomas Davis, if he’s going to walk away from the game, it would rather happen in a fuss-free season, unlike this coming 2018 campaign wherein he’s suspended for the first four games for his violation of the NFL’s policy on use of performance-enhancing drugs or PED.

“I look at the way things transpired this offseason and think back to, really, my legacy and the things that I’ve been able to do as a football player,” Davis said. “I don’t want to leave on a sour note. You never want to walk away from the game knowing that you served a four-game suspension. That’s my mindset right now.”

Davis has a year left on his current contract, but being absent for four games to open the new season will take away a substantial opportunity for him to prove that he can still perform at an elite level.

Last season, he got a below-average grade from Pro Football Focus after playing 15 games and recording 52 tackles and 2.5 sacks. That being said, he’s made it to the Pro Bowl in each of the last three seasons.