Peppers on I.R.

Peppers on I.R.

After missing last weekend's game vs. the Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers defensive end, Julius Peppers, has been put on injured reserve for the remainder of the 2007 season due to a sprained medial collateral ligament. When considering Peppers numbers in 2007, they are significantly lower than what he offered in his first five seasons. Significantly lower. Averaging over 10 sacks per season during his first 5 years in the league, his final sack tab for 2007 will come in at 3.5.

For Peppers and Panther management, this will create an interesting dialogue. It was highly anticipated that he would see contract negotiations swing heavily in his favor during the off-season. There were even preliminary talks of Peppers new deal approaching, and possibly exceeding the monster deal offered to Dwight Freeney: 72 million for 6 years.

Peppers feels his value is still worth the coin, and doesn't feel that a "down" year, or his current soft tissue injury will affect the negotiations that would add several more years to his stay in Charlotte. He was Carolina raised, and would prefer to Carolina stay. The Panthers are hoping to keep the former pro-bowl defensive end on the roster for 2008, after a slew of team injuries has kept them just outside of the playoff race, and a return to previous form would once again make Peppers the premier pass rusher in the league.

The Panthers have been on a bubble over the past three seasons, and it will be increasingly interesting to see what happens with contract negotiations involving Julius Peppers. There's always a chance that the two parties won't come to agreeable terms. If the bubble does burst, it would leave the Panthers with a gaping hole in their defensive unit, but money in the bank to potentially solve an ongoing QB dilemma.

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