panthers.com / .panthers-com-news / Page 6

The two Panthers legends shared the stage Friday night at the Gold Jacket Dinner, with Peppers joining the linebacker's family yet again to honor one of the greatest linebackers of all time.

The Panthers linebacker isn't viewed as a rookie as he takes his first steps into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The respect he gets from his peers indicates clearly why he belongs here in Canton.

With a pair of Hall of Famers, and great players between them, the Panthers have become identified by the position in a way few other franchises can. And the only team with more HOFers had a 75-year head start.

Sam Mills III and Marcus Mills will be on hand to see the next link in the Panthers ' linebacker lineage go into the Hall of Fame, and join their father. And they're proud that Kuechly represents so many of the same qualities of Sam Mills.

The rookie quarterback ran for the game-winning score, leading the Panthers to a 33-30 win over the Cardinals, and showing his knack for making plays in dramatic moments.

Rookie quarterback Haynes King helped the offense come alive in his debut, as the Panthers took to the field for the first time this preseason, beating the Cardinals 33-30 in the Hall of Fame Game.

A receiver was waived and an offensive lineman was released on Thursday with injury settlements.

The Panthers linebacker and Saints quarterback were paired wonders, the best at what they did on opposite sides of the ball. But it was because of all the things they shared that they pushed each other to this height.

The Hall of Fame linebacker equaled a league record with 24 tackles against the Saints that day, meaning nearly a third of the total plays the Saints ran were stopped by Luke Kuechly.

The Panthers placed veteran guard Saahdiq Charles on injured reserve Wednesday, and brought back offensive lineman Jake Curhan, among moves prior to the Hall of Fame Game.