Over the past decade, a trio of Panthers’ greats — Mike Minter, Mike Rucker and Jordan Gross — went out on their own terms after playing their entire careers in Carolina. But those retirement ceremonies were an exception to the typical NFL rule.While they’re separate cases, what happened with Julius Peppers and Steve Smith is much more common. Arguably the best players in franchise history, they’re finishing their football days in other cities on other teams.[vc_column_inner fade=”” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/2″]So Thomas Davis is rare. Not just for what the reigning NFL Man of the Year has done on and off the field, but also for how he’ll leave it one day after playing for just one team.“Being here and watching Julius Peppers leave, watching Muhsin Muhammad leave and come back, and seeing Steve Smith leave, it’s hard to say what would happen in this league,” Davis said Tuesday, less than 24 hours after signing a two-year contract extension.“It’s a great feeling to know that I’m going to be able to finish my career where it started.”A first-round pick in 2005, Davis has grown into one of the fanbases’ most beloved figures. Some are even imagining what he’d look like as a statue outside Bank of America Stadium. Trailing only Minter for most tackles in Panthers’ history, it’s not a stretch to envision Davis cast in bronze, especially if the ultimate ending was added to his already inspirational story.”I don’t look for individual stuff. Pro Bowls, none of that stuff really matters,” Davis said. “If I can walk away from this organization and this team with a Super Bowl ring, it’ll mean more to me than any of the individual awards.”[vc_column_inner fade=”” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/2″][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html]Since his extension runs through the 2017 season, the assumption is the 32-year-old has three years before his Super Bowl window shuts. But Davis believes the time he missed with three ACL tears from 2009-11 bought him more time on the back end.If he can still play after 2017, who’d be surprised to see him back out there? Not coach Ron Rivera, for one.”Knowing him, it’s going to be, ‘We’ll see how I am’ every year,'” Rivera predicted. “I know we’ve talked about he’s going to retire a Panther, well, maybe in three, four, five years, knowing him. As long as he stays healthy and continues to work at it, he’s got a great chance to extend his career.”And Davis?“I’m pretty sure I will want to keep going, and the same things applies — If this team is not willing to give me that shot in 2017, then like I said, I appreciate it, and it’s been a good career. I’m definitely going to shut it down,” Davis said, repeating his promise of only playing for the Panthers.“I don’t know what’s going to happen then, but I just know that if I do decide that I can no longer play the game, I’ll definitely be excited with the work that I’ve been able to put in and the fact that I was able to play for one organization.”[vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html]