Davis comes off physically unable to perform list
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Amid the cheers of fans and high-fives from teammates, Carolina Panthers tailback Stephen Davis returned to the practice field on Monday for the first time in nearly 10 months, as the 10th-year veteran came off the physically unable to perform list.
Davis had missed the first month of camp as he continued his rehabilitation from offseason "microfracture" surgery on his right knee. Davis passed a physical exam on Monday and was cleared to practice. The Panthers will proceed cautiously with Davis and it is not known if he will play in Friday night's preseason game as he attempts to get ready for the Sept. 11 season opener against New Orleans.
It is more likely that Davis and Panthers officials will point toward the preseason finale on Sept. 1 for his return. That would represent his first action since an appearance against Philadelphia last Oct. 17.
The return of a healthy Davis would be a boon to a Carolina offense that thrives on the run and which rode his legs to a Super Bowl XXXVIII berth in 2003. With Davis, fourth-year veteran DeShaun Foster and second-round draft pick Eric Shelton, the Panthers would have one of the NFL's deepest and most talented tailback pools.
Davis, 31, has worked hard to rehabilitate his right knee. The mircrofracture procedure, in which holes are drilled into the kneecap to promote blood flow to the damaged area, has produced mixed results over the years for other players. It was used on Davis in an attempt to curb the severe swelling that plagued the tailback early last season.
There had been speculation that Davis, a workhorse back when healthy, might not be able to return from the surgery and that he would be forced into retirement. But on the opening day of camp, Davis declared himself 90 percent recovered and vowed he would return in time for the season opener.
When the team placed Davis on the physically unable to perform list at the outset of camp, when he could not pass a physical, coaches and franchise officials insisted that the move was anticipated and did not represent a setback. At the same time, they conceded they were unsure of a timetable for Davis' return.
In nine seasons, including stints with the Washington Redskins (1996-2002) and the Panthers (2003-present), Davis has carried 1,725 times for 7,326 yards and 53 scores. He has four seasons in which he rushed for 1,000-plus yards but also averaged 324 carries in the four years in which he started at least 14 games. His 1,444 yards in 2003, his first year with the Panthers, was a career best.
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