Carolina Panthers: The marvel that is defensive end Julius Peppers
The second overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft may be getting ready to play in 2018. Will we see Carolina Panthers’ defensive end Julius Peppers this season?
It has been an amazing run for one of the most athletic defensive players in league annals. Minutes after the expansion Houston Texans used the first overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft on Fresno State quarterback David Carr, the Carolina Panthers opted for intriguing defensive end Julius Peppers.
The former North Carolina Tar Heel made headlines in his debut season on a pair of fronts. Peppers played in 12 games that season, totaled one dozen sacks and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He was also limited to those 12 contests because he served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
A mere 15 years later and following stops with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, Peppers was back with the Panthers in 2017. He played in all 16 games, made five starts and tied for the team lead with 11 sacks.
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So will we see the nine-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro for a 17th NFL season? Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer has a pretty educated guess.
"My guess is yes – a source close to indicates the star defensive end is leaning toward playing but doesn’t want to commit to it yet. Peppers recently had shoulder surgery. From what I understand, he had been playing with that injury for quite a while. Peppers really gets along with Eric Washington, recently promoted from Panthers’ defensive-line coach to defensive coordinator. At 38, Peppers tied for the team lead with 11 sacks last season as a part-time player."
In 16 years in the league, Peppers has missed only six games — just two due to injury. He has totaled an impressive 154.5 sacks — 10 or more quarterback traps in 10 different seasons. The versatile specimen has lined up as a defensive end and an outside linebacker. There have been a total of 31 takeaways (11 interceptions, 20 fumble recoveries) and six of those have been returned for scores. He’s also been credited with 52 forced fumbles and 78 passes defensed.
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You get the sense when Julius Peppers is headed five years or so after his playing career is over. His consistent play along with his incredible production and reliability makes him one of the best at his craft. Of course, when his days in the NFL are finally done may be one of the more difficult questions to answer at the moment.