PANTHERS PRO BOWLER ASKS TO BE LET GO

Less than a week after competing in his fourth career Pro Bowl, the Carolina Panthers’ best player says he wants out. Star defensive end Julius Peppers spoke with reporters for about 20 minutes Saturday and said he’s being held back in Carolina.

Peppers was polite, insistent that he has no problems with his coaches and stressed that North Carolina will always be his home.

The four-time Pro Bowl defensive end just doesn’t want to play for Carolina anymore — and hopes the Panthers grant the impending free agent his wish by not placing the franchise tag on him.

“If they decide to use the tag on me, the first thing that I’ll be doing is requesting a trade,” Peppers said Saturday. “Then anything after, basically I don’t know what would be the course of action. We’ll deal with that when that time comes.” [AP]

Things have to be pretty bad for a relatively quiet guy like Peppers to take this approach. And I can’t imagine that he’s just simply frustrated with head coach John Fox’s new defensive playbook. There has to be something more sinister at work here. Like drugs or a plot to kidnap Snowflake the Dolphin or a plot to kidnap Snowflake the Dolphin for drugs.