Carolina Panthers

Panthers 'don't really care' about Peyton Manning's legacy or possible last game

Published Jan. 28, 2016 12:17 p.m. ET

foxsports

Give the Panthers some credit: They don't care much for bulletin boards.

The brash 17-1 NFC champs have blatantly displayed their swagger all season, dabbing, fighting and scoring and not being too shy about it.

And their matchup against the Broncos in the Super Bowl won't be any different.

Super Bowl 50 could be Peyton Manning's last game, and with his legacy on the line, and him hinting at the fact that this could be his last rodeo, the public sentiment may sway many fans to root for him.

The Panthers couldn't care less. Here's what two of them said in the Charlotte Observer:

"We don't really care if this is his last game," Panthers fullback Mike Tolbert said. "He's played what -- 18, 19 years? He's had enough, you know what I'm saying? It's our turn."

Safety Tre Boston reached for a pizza analogy when I asked him if he would feel guilty if he intercepted Manning in his final game.

"So if a man has the last piece of pizza in the world, are you going to take that last piece?" Boston asked. "One of y'all got to live! One of us has to win, and I'm not trying to lose. It's you and that one man. You gonna live or not? I'm trying to win. I don't care who you are."

The Panthers have been cocky all season, with good reason. They've only lost once, and thoroughly dominated the NFC. They beat up good teams en route to the Super Bowl, and there was even a question to if they ran up the score on the Cardinals.

It's no surprise that they're going into the biggest game of the year chatty as ever about Manning, who probably is more worried about their calls at the line than anything they will have to say before it.

(H/T PFT)