Spending his entire career in North Carolina en route to becoming a Carolina Panthers legend, veteran linebacker Thomas Davis will be forced to find a new home for the 2019 season if he wishes to continue his NFL playing career. As a result, to say that the seasoned tackler was surprised when he was informed that the Panthers would be releasing him this offseason might be an understatement.

“I struggled with it. I didn't see it coming,” Davis said. “I thought I had an opportunity to come back and kind of play another year based on how I competed and really showed up and showed that I was still capable of playing at a high level. But the team had other plans. We have a ton of young linebackers on the football team right now that they want to see play.”

Davis also admitted that he hoped that the Panthers would allow him to retire as a member of the franchise in a similar situation to that of Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

“I feel like deep down inside, Coach Rivera moreso than anybody in the organization wanted me to come back,” Davis added. “We had conversations throughout the year, he told me when I was playing well. I've always had a open line of communication with Coach Rivera. And when I'm not playing well, he don't hesitate to tell me. If I'm playing well, he lets me know. I really felt from conversation that he wanted me to be back. It just unfortunately didn't work out that way.”

Nonetheless, it doesn't appear as though Davis will be hanging up his cleats this offseason, which will lead the veteran linebacker elsewhere next season.