GumboBC

Panthers OL takes hit; Meadows quits with shoulder woes
Aug. 9, 2004
SportsLine.com wire reports

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The Carolina Panthers' unsettled offensive line took another hit Monday when projected starting right tackle Adam Meadows abruptly announced his retirement.

Meadows, 30, signed a five-year, $15 million contract with the Panthers as a free agent March 9, but had been kept out of most of training camp by persistent shoulder problems. The team encouraged Meadows to undergo treatment for arthritis in the shoulder, but Meadows decided to call it quits.

"There was a lot of integrity for what he did," Panthers head coach John Fox said. "Rather than drift along kind of in limbo, he decided to retire, and that is something I respect him for totally."

Meadows, who spent his first eight seasons with Indianapolis, has agreed to pay back his entire $2.5 million signing bonus, general manager Marty Hurney said.

Journeyman backup Matt Willig has been with seven teams during his 13-year NFL career, but has only started 34 games. Willig has been working with the first team in training camp.

Willig is expected to receive some competition for the starting spot from Melvin Tuten, another career backup. Tuten, in his fifth season with the Panthers, missed all of last season with a torn ACL in his knee and has started just 17 games.

Read More