DE Peppers wants to thank DT Gilbert for jersey number

Joining the Chicago Bears on a $91.5 million, six-year contract, defensive end Julius Peppers was also offered to continue wearing No. 90 NFL jersey, a number that was previously worn by Bears defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert. Gilbert did not say anything about having to change jersey number, but Peppers is determined to thank him through proper ways.


"I hit him up about it, but it was kind of late because they had already announced that I was going to get it,’ Peppers told Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune. "When I talked to him, he was like, ‘It’s all good.’ I told him I appreciated it and that I had to do something to show my appreciation. (Gilbert) told me not to even worry about it, but I’m going to hook him up anyway. What am I going to get him? I don’t know yet. I’m still trying to decide, think about what’s going to be good. I didn’t even meet him yet. I’m going to meet him and see what he likes and then try to hook him up with something.”

Peppers is the second player to take away Gilbert’s jersey number in one year but could be the first to thank him for doing that. Wearing No. 90 at San Jose State before he was drafted by the Bears as a third-round pick last year, Gilbert had to change to No. 73 because the number 90 was already worn by linebacker Joey LaRocque. He wore back NO. 90 after LaRocque was released but had to give it up again when the Bears signed Peppers from the free agent market.

Bears seem interested in free agent DE Peppers

According to latest reports, the Chicago Bears were spot talking with Carl Carey, representative for free agent defensive end Julius Peppers. As it happened just a few days before the March 5 deadline for free agency, people could not help guessing what’s going on between the two sides.


Carey has no other active NFL client than Peppers. If the Bears were talking with him about signing Peppers, they would be on the hook for tampering NFL rules that do not allow conversations between the agents for looming free agents and potentially interested teams before the deadline day for free agency. Violation of tampering rules can result in fines and forfeiting draft picks for a franchise.

The 6-7, 283-pound defensive end was not designated with a franchise tag by the Carolina Panthers for 2010 season, so it’s almost sure that he will take off Panthers jersey by the end of the last league year to be an unrestricted free agent. And it has been reported that he is already on the free-agent watch list of several teams like the Washington Redskins, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.

Panthers will let DE Peppers go free

As defensive end Julius Peppers expected, the Carolina Panthers announced Tuesday that they have no plan to place franchise tag on him, letting Thursday’s deadline pass by and Peppers make his own choice about his future career as an unrestricted free agent.


“With the magnitude of the contract, the tender that it would take to franchise him and how it fits into the big picture with our team, we made the decision to not franchise him,” Panthers GM Marty Hurney said. “Obviously, it’s a very difficult decision because he’s a tremendous player.”

Thus after March 5, Peppers will have the right to sign with any team he likes to play for. Seeming happy to learn that the Panthers would not tag him, Peppers released a statement through his agent on the same day, saying that he felt good to have the opportunity to visit with other teams and his next goal will be to find the right match for his skill set. Forget the eight seasons he played in Panthers jerseys, and try to believe his new phase of career will be better, or at least as good as he has expected.

Several Panthers key players missed practice Wednesday

The Carolina Panthers practiced Wednesday with quite a few key players sidelined because of injuries, including running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart and fullback Brad Hoover. Some other injured players were limited in practice.


Williams missed the practice because of a sore knee. According to Coach John Fox, the running back tweaked it while playing in his Panthers jersey during Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints, although he managed to rush for 149 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Steward’s absence from Wednesday workouts has been a routine since he had a sore Achilles’ tendon. Hoover was sidelined with a sprained ankle.

Defensive end Julius Peppers had a messed up right hand and took limited part in Wednesday’s practice, so did tight end Dante Rosario, who had knee injuries. Players returning to practice from injuries included backup fullback Tony Fiammetta and receiver Muhsin Muhammad.

Several Panthers key players missed practice Wednesday

The Carolina Panthers practiced Wednesday with quite a few key players sidelined because of injuries, including running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart and fullback Brad Hoover. Some other injured players were limited in practice.


Williams missed the practice because of a sore knee. According to Coach John Fox, the running back tweaked it while playing in his Panthers jersey during Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints, although he managed to rush for 149 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Steward’s absence from Wednesday workouts has been a routine since he had a sore Achilles’ tendon. Hoover was sidelined with a sprained ankle.

Defensive end Julius Peppers had a messed up right hand and took limited part in Wednesday’s practice, so did tight end Dante Rosario, who had knee injuries. Players returning to practice from injuries included backup fullback Tony Fiammetta and receiver Muhsin Muhammad.