CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After 17 seasons in the NFL, Julius Peppers announced his retirement Friday morning in a video posted to Twitter that had many Panthers fans in tears.
"Only time can reveal what's next, but my time here is up," Peppers said in the video posted to Twitter by the Carolina Panthers. "No regrets, no looking back. It's not goodbye, it's kind of like I'll see you later."
Peppers thanked the fans for their support through the years.
"Thank you for the spirit, the resolve and the attitude to keep pounding," Peppers said. "It's not something we just say around here, it's how we live."
He also penned a letter to fans on The Players Tribune and Panthers.com. In a brutally honest note, Peppers wrote that he wished he'd enjoyed things more in the early stages of his career. Of the Panthers' loss in Super Bowl 38 in 2003, Peppers wrote, "I didn't necessarily understand the gravity of the moment. I mean, it felt terrible to lose it. It always does. But my thought process was, 'It's OK. We'll be back next year.'"
"I had a good career, man. The Super Bowl ring eluded me, but I don't need that to validate me. I would have loved to have helped deliver that to the fans in Carolina, but I'm content with the career that I had."
Peppers was drafted by the Panthers with the second overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft. He spent his first eight seasons with Carolina before signing with Chicago in 2010. He returned to the Panthers for what would be the final two seasons of his illustrious career.
Peppers ranks fourth all-time with 159.5 career sacks, which was the most of any active NFL player. He holds multiple Panthers franchise records and is the only player in NFL history with 150 sacks and 10 interceptions. His six career defensive touchdowns are tied for third-most among all NFL defensive linemen and linebackers. He was voted into the Pro Bowl nine times and was named to six All-Pro teams.
Peppers thanked the fans for their unwavering support throughout his time with the Panthers, writing, "Thank you for the spirit, the resolve and the attitude to Keep Pounding. It's not something we just say around here, it's how we live.
"I’m thankful for the things you showed me about life that were bigger than football and for a second chance – a new beginning.
See the players, we come and we go, but the constant is you. And as the saying goes, 'Once a Panther, always a Panther.'”
Peppers was recently named the Panthers Ed Block Courage Award winner, given to a player each season who demonstrates courage on and off the field. He was also named the Panthers nominee for the NFL’s Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, which recognizes players around the league who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship on the field.
Peppers was nominated for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his efforts to help with recovery from Hurricane Florence. He started the Peppers Hurricane Relief Fund and donated $100,000 of his own money. He also visited with victims of the storm in the Carolinas.
"I'm grateful, I'm at peace with all that comes next," Peppers said.