4 Carolina Panthers jersey numbers that should be permanently retired

Which Carolina Panthers jersey numbers should be permanently retired by the organization?

There is only one number that has been retired during the 26-year history of the Carolina Panthers so far.

That, of course, is the incomparable Sam Mills.

The iconic linebacker left a lasting legacy across the organization both on and off the field, dealing with significant adversity to become a five-time Pro Bowler, a highly respected coach, and even having a statue outside Bank of America Stadium before his sad passing in 2005.

Although plenty of legendary figures have walked onto the gridiron in Carolina since none has received the same recognition as yet.

It might be a case of the Panthers simply biding their time and waiting a little deeper into the years ahead before making such big decisions. But as time passes, the memory of certain players fades, and the less likely their name will follow that of Mills into immortality.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at four former Panthers who could have their old jersey numbers permanently retired.

Player No. 1

Thomas Davis – Former Carolina Panthers LB

There was nobody that embodied the Keep Pounding mantra of the Panthers that followed in Sam Mills’ footsteps more than Thomas Davis. The linebacker was a driving force behind the team’s success in the 2010s and one only has to look at the way he recovered from so many serious knee injuries to see just how determined of a character he was.

Davis spent 13 seasons in Carolina and made one All-Pro team, was a three-time Pro Bowler and his partnership at the second level with Luke Kuechly was the greatest in franchise history by a considerable margin.

Not only this, Davis was a leading figure within the community and gave a significant amount of his time to help those less fortunate. This resulted in the former Georgia star earning the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2014 and there was nobody more deserving.

He eventually hung up his cleats this spring and No. 58 might be a leading candidate to be retired in the not-too-distant future.