Peppers was "willing to stay"

[Miaoww]

It's always been about the money for Peppers. He has no passion for the game - if he was good enough at basketball he'd have played that. As it is he was fortunate enough to be very good at American football so he took that path.

[Proudiddy]

Well, I did say fug him and call him a couple of names, but it was only b/c I wish he could've stayed a Panther his entire career and I thought we had offered more than the Bears...

I didn't and wouldn't wish injury on him like some have, I hope he stays healthy and hopefully comes back to retire with us one day. I did say I hope he had a less than productive year, but at this point, I don't care.

After reading this, I think he's telling the truth... What reason does he have to lie after he's already signed with them and is gone? None. He didn't even have to talk to the Observer. So, I take his word that we didn't make a strong push to sign him again.

I'm thinking more and more that it's not a youth movement this organization is going with, it's a cutting cost movement that JR is trying to make a point with, and it pisses me off that we lost 1 of 2 possible HOF'ers we have trying to do it. I hope he's happy with himself.

I still am a Peppers fan, although some of the things I said about him recently were out of frustration, I still can't pull for him wearing another team's uni. I'll miss seeing him in ours, and best of luck this season. Hope he comes back to finish things out.

[hdevonxz]

damn just pay the man, it's not like we would have spent all the saved money on some big free agent.....

[God]

Doesn't matter if he has 3 sacks vs. the Panthers we will still beat dat ass. Lovie Smith is one of the only coaches in the league that Fox can outcoach. Also, Jay "Diabeetus" Cutler is good for 3 INT's.

[brandon_87]

Hmmmmmm.......

Well, I'm a Peppers fan...but I don't think he is worth 15 mil a year. I do believe him in that no contact made the situation worse. I really wished we could have found a way to keep him...but I think we sorta planned to move on anyway honestly.

my point exactly, if he really wanted to play for a "championship" we are way better then the bears and money should not have that big of a factor but he wants to try to throw that out there either to throw dirt in r face by saying we aren't championship material, or try to be a little bitch by saying he actually wanted to stay until he didn't hear anything from the Panthers?? We are better off without him and without Jake targeting corners and safties now I would say we are in the top 3 teams in the NFC if not THE top team, what a deuche

[Jangler]

[PantherDude]

Smitty will take care of him if he's out in the open.

Example:

Damn you, dude!! I was going to post that!

that should make Panthers feel good about not signing him.

Fix for you. :thumbsup:

And again, I'm not surprise he was all about the money. I thought he wanted to leave to play in a different position last year, then he said he like Meeks's defense before this season was over & now he got his wish to play somewhere else. I think he was lying out of his ass about liking Meeks's defense, since he wanted out & pretend to like the new defense. He must be a good actor there.. If he was honest on liking Meeks's defense, why did he leave? He only care about the money.

[PhillyB]

J Stewie will use Peppers like a basketball.

that would be amazing.

[CatMan72]

So Peppers says it wasn't about the money, but clearly it was about the money.

I guess you just have to decide who to believe here... the word is the Panthers offered him somewhere between 14-15 million per year, but I'm not sure how much of that was guaranteed? Peppers says he never heard from them.

I think this is one case where the Panthers should break their vow of silence and set the record straight for the sake of us fans. I'm at peace with the notion that we gave him a good contract offer and he turned it down... I'm not at peace with the idea that we just let him walk away without even trying to retain him.

[Speed]

We can sign two or three championship players for what Peppers would have gotten. Let the bears carry his a$$. "The team where receivers go to die."

[STIFFPAWED]

Well after watching the news conference with Pep, I hope he holds on to all that dough he's gonna be making because a career in sports casting is definately out of the question.

[MadHatter]

:hand: I think your crystal ball needs a rebuild kit. Multiple sacks that game for Peppers....multiple.

Only if Peppers choses to make the Panthers game one of the five games in 2010 that he will actually show up and play hard. That is the season average of effort games from Pep.

The other 11 games, he will put up stats comparable to a 5th round rookie.

[Urrymonster]

Frankly I call BS on this. He could of been bought to stay. Whoever what is $1.5mil when you are slated to earn $12mil in basic salary already? When it makes you the highest paid DE in the league you simply can't say, if only the offered a little bit more, as it just shows greed and an indication to why the FO did not go that extra mile.

He wanted to leave and would only stay for a the contract that would allow him to rest on his laurels. However I expect him to be rejuvenated in chicago for a couple of years as now he has a new set of targets and a new challenge.

[STIFFPAWED]

However I expect him to be rejuvenated in chicago for a couple of years as now he has a new set of targets and a new challenge.

I see Pep taking more plays off than usual if Cutler is his usual self. But I guess the bonus money might be a motivater.