Free agent cornerback Charles Tillman only wants to play for the Carolina Panthers if he returns for a 14th season.
“I just want to play for Carolina,” Tillman said Saturday, according to NOLA.com. “Being in Carolina felt like I had been there my entire career. The team, the community, the atmosphere, that vibe. The Carolinas — North Carolina and South Carolina — they showed a lot of love.”
Tillman, 35, tore his ACL in Week 17 last season and missed the Panthers’ run to the Super Bowl. On Saturday, he said it would be “probably another two months before I’m able to do a few more things.” And if he does sign with a team, it would likely be near the end of training camp.
Tillman signed a one-year deal with the Panthers last offseason after his contract expired with the Chicago Bears, where he spent the first 12 years of his career.
“That’s the only team I really want to play for,” he said. “It’s Carolina. It’s a great group of men. … A great group of coaches. The front-office guys are great. To me it was no surprise they were, or we were, 17-2.”
All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman left the Panthers to sign with the Washington Redskins after he and the team failed to come to an agreement on a long-term deal. It’s possible the Panthers could entertain bringing Tillman back next season to provide some experience to a young secondary.
