Report: Panthers OL Travelle Wharton to announce retirement
Carolina Panthers offensive lineman Travelle Wharton will announce his retirement after 10 seasons, TheCharlotte Observer reports.
Wharton was a third-round selection by Carolina in the 2004 NFL draft, starting 111 games in his career. He is the fourth Panthers offensive lineman to retire this offseason, joining Jordan Gross, Geoff Hangartner and Jeff Byers.
Wharton spent nine of 10 seasons with the team. He signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2012, but blew out his knee in the preseason and did not appear in a regular season game.
According to the report, he will join Gross as a co-host on Gross' weekly TV show on the Panthers cable channel.
"It’s time," Wharton told The Associated Press. "I thought it might have been time last year. It’s just hard to just say it."
He signed with the Panthers for the 2013 season and started 12 games at left guard.
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