Panthers receiver Steve Smith will play his 13th season in 2013, and all of them have been in Carolina.
He recently reiterated his plan to play 15 or 16 years. And he hopes to be able to say when he’s done that he contributed to something special.
“I’m in the part of my career where I want to be part of something that’s great that, once I’m done playing, I can say, ‘Hey, I was part of that,’” Smith said this week, via Tom Sorenson of the Charlotte Observer.
Smith’s timeline means he’ll play through 2015 or 2016. With quarterback Cam Newton leading the offense and linebacker Luke Kuechly anchoring the defense, there’s a chance that Panthers could soon be among the NFL’s elite teams.