LB Davis confident he'll return to Carolina

Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis determined it ''wasn't worth the risk'' to try to play this season after two major knee surgeries in less than a year, but is confident Carolina will re-sign him.

Panthers coach John Fox announced Monday they wouldn't activate Davis from the physically unable to perform list by Wednesday's deadline and would place him on season-ending injured reserve.

''It was a joint decision and ultimately, and I appreciate them for this, they left it up to me,'' Davis said at halftime of Monday's San Antonio-Charlotte NBA game. ''They left me the option of whether I wanted to do it and I made the decision to go ahead and shut it down.''

The speedy weakside linebacker was having a breakout season in 2009 when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in a November game against New Orleans. He was making a rapid recovery seven months later - clocked at 4.47 seconds in the 40-yard dash - when he suffered the same injury in a June workout.

The Panthers didn't put him on IR and Davis had said he was determined to play this season despite Carolina (1-7) being in the midst of a terrible season. But Davis acknowledged his knee still isn't 100 percent.

''It's very tough. I know how much hard work I've put in,'' Davis said. ''But even bigger than that, I know how much I want to be out there with my teammates week in and week out. I think of how much work we've put in to get this thing going and it's just not happening right now.''

The move means Davis will enter free agency not only with the uncertainty surrounding the expiring collective bargaining agreement, but not having played in more than a year.

Davis believes he'll be in Carolina next season.

''That was a concern going in, but I know what I'm capable of,'' Davis said. ''I have the utmost respect for the organization, and I feel like they're going to do a great job of handling the free agency situation. I've pretty much been assured by them that I'm going to be a Panther, so I hope that it all works out.''

Asked if staying in Carolina was what he wanted, Davis didn't hesitate.

''Definitely,'' he said.