Now that left tackle Jordan Gross has called it quits, one long-running partner on the Carolina Panthers offensive line is hinting that he might follow suit.
A key signing late last summer, left guard Travelle Wharton is unsure about his NFL future as he hits the open market for the third consecutive year.
"I don't know what I'm going to do at this point. Still trying to figure it out," Wharton said Wednesday, via The Charlotte Observer. "Really taking inventory on my body, my mind, and just making sure it's the right deal for me."
Wharton bounced back from a 2012 ACL tear to solidify the Panthers' offensive line as one of the NFL's most effective guards last season. He turns 33 in May.
If Wharton does opt to play another season, it sounds like he prefers to stay put.
"I love it here in Charlotte. This is where we want to live," Wharton said. "If there's going to be a next year, we have to sit down and talk about it."
The Panthers do have 2012 second-round guard Amini Silatolu returning from an ACL tear of his own, but losing Wharton on top of Gross would be a severe blow to Carolina's chances of repeating as NFC South champions.
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