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**RoyWilliams** · 02-08-2008, 09:15 AM

http://www.charlotte.com/panthers/story/477090.html

Quote:

Defensive end Mike Rucker is coming back, but he's not sure whether it will be with the Carolina Panthers.

Rucker's agent, Peter Schaffer, said Sunday that Rucker decided during their meetings in Phoenix this week to return for another season.

There had been speculation that Rucker might retire.

"Mike is fired up, motivated and looking forward to continuing his career," Schaffer said. "It's 100 percent."

Rucker, 32, has played his entire career with the Panthers but is eligible to become a free agent Feb. 29.

"In an ideal world, Mike would love to play his whole career in the same place and be with the Panthers," Schaffer said. "Obviously, they have some decisions to make and we'll see where where the next month takes us."

The Panthers hadn't heard anything official from Rucker, but they plan to meet with him soon, Carolina general manager Marty Hurney said Sunday.

"The way we left it with Mike was we would sit down after he'd had a while to think about things," Hurney said.

Asked if the Panthers would be interested in re-signing Rucker, Hurney said the first step would be the meeting.

**Professor** · 02-29-2008, 01:48 PM

Looks like he has had a change of heart

http://www.heraldonline.com/247/story/397387.html

CHARLOTTE -- Less than a month after saying he wanted to play again, it now appears that Carolina Panthers defensive end Mike Rucker has had a change of heart.

Rucker became an unrestricted free agent at midnight. Panthers coach John Fox and general manager Marty Hurney had met with him two weeks ago and told him they intended to look another direction for a starter at defensive end. At that point, Rucker said he wanted to come back, but hedged when talk turned to actually going to another city.

His best friend and former teammate, Mike Minter, said Thursday that his partner was now having second thoughts.

"He's leaning toward not playing at all now," Minter said. "I think he might have spoke too fast last time, and the more he thinks about it, the less he wants to go somewhere else."

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