The career of cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman could be over after the Carolina Panthers defender suffered a torn ACL in the team's regular season finale on Sunday, according to Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer.
Charles Tillman’s career could be over after ACL tear
Tillman suffered a partial ACL tear in Week 10, but attempted to come back from the injury and play down the stretch for the Panthers.
Tillman, 34, was a second-round pick in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears and spent 12 years with the team before joining the Carolina Panthers in the 2015 offseason. According to Jones, Tillman suffered a partial tear of his ACL in a Week 10 game against the Tennessee Titans, but returned to action in Week 15 and eventually fully tore the ligament in Week 17 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Panthers earned a 38-10 win on Sunday to improve to 15-1 and lock up the No. 1 seed in the NFC, but the team will be without Tillman for the postseason. The team is already without Bene Benwikere, who is on injured reserve after fracturing his leg, and will rely on Robert McClain as a starter opposite Josh Norman, with Cortland Finnegan playing in the slot.
Tillman earned two trips to the Pro Bowl during his time with the Bears and is seventh in NFL history in interceptions returned for touchdowns with eight.
With his 35th birthday coming in February, Tillman is already one of the oldest defensive players in the NFL, and an ACL tear could mean the end of his career.
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