Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith was voted a team captain Wednesday, an honor he once held but lost during one of the low points in his career.

Smith, 31, was a captain in 2007, wasn't voted a captain the next season after punching teammate Ken Lucas in the face during training camp. Since then, he has quietly worked his way back.

That only 21 other current Panthers were here when he earned a two-game suspension in 2008 might be a factor, but so is Smith's low-key approach.

"I think there's a level of trust that has to be rebuilt every year," he said. "But I don't come to work thinking, 'How I can position myself better to be a captain?' I think it's important, but it's not one of those things I put up there, I've got to be this way to be this. Becoming a captain is not my focus.

"I just come to work and do what I'm supposed to do."

He admitted he appreciated having earned the confidence of his teammates.

"I don't think it's important to me necessarily," Smith said. "The respect of my teammates is very key, and taking the focus off me and putting it on them, I think it's pretty cool to have the respect of your teammates."

Smith said it's also important to him to have the respect of fans and opponents. Toward that end, he extended an olive branch toward the player who broke his arm with a hit last year in New York.

Smith told Sports Illustrated earlier in camp, "I'm going after him," in reference to Giants safety Michael Johnson. Johnson then was asked by New York reporters about the comment, and he replied: "Who you talking about? The Steve Smith that went to the Pro Bowl?" a reference to his teammate with the same name.

Smith, who grinned and said his goal was to "just smile" more this season, said he wishes he hadn't stirred up that particular pot.

"A lot of times I walked around here the last 10 years kind of puffing my chest out saying I want the respect of players," Smith said. "And the reality of it is, I have the respect of players. I've got to go out and play. A guy that says that knows he's responding to something I said.

"That's just myself being immature, and being ignorant and frustrated. I said that, and of course a guy has to respond. Bottom line is, he's trying to make a living, feed his family just like me. I can't continue to be that way, and I won't be that way. (For me) to say that was just stupid."

More captains

In addition to Smith, left tackle Jordan Gross, linebacker Jon Beason, defensive end Tyler Brayton and kicker John Kasay were voted captains by their peers.

It was the third such honor for Beason and Kasay, the second for Smith and Gross and the first for Brayton.

It was a bit interesting that quarterback Matt Moore wasn't voted, since it marks the first time since 2002 (tight end Wesley Walls and wideout Muhsin Muhammad) when the Panthers opening day starting quarterback wasn't named an offensive captain. Rodney Peete was a captain in 2003 (before getting yanked at halftime of the opener), and Jake Delhomme wore the C from 2004 to 2009.

Injury update

Right tackle Jeff Otah (knee) and running back Tyrell Sutton (shoulder) were held out of practice Wednesday, the first day the team had to submit an official injury report to the league.

Otah hasn't practiced this offseason, and his absence Wednesday makes it likely that he won't play this weekend when the Panthers to go New York. Assuming he doesn't return, Geoff Schwartz will continue to start, and the Panthers will be down to just two healthy backups. They kept just eight blockers, meaning tackle Garry Williams and guard Tim Duckworth (who celebrated his 10-day anniversary with the team) will be in uniform against the Giants.

Brayton returned to work for the first time since suffering a high-ankle sprain in the preseason opener, practicing fully.

Extra points

Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn told a group of reporters he expected to be returning punts Sunday against the Giants.

If that's the case, it's likely rookie receiver Armanti Edwards will be inactive, since he's not expected to play a significant role on offense yet. Of course, that would hamper the Panthers' ability to run any of their "Mountaineer" plays, which made their debut last Thursday in the preseason finale at Pittsburgh.

Panthers director of ticket sales Phil Youtsey said fewer than 1,000 tickets remain for next weekend's home opener against Tampa Bay. The Panthers need to sell them by late next week to keep from breaking a 75-game non-blackout streak.

In the search for offensive line help, the Panthers put in a claim for former Wake Forest center Steve Vallos, who was released by Seattle, but he was awarded to Cleveland instead. The next step might come next week. Veteran players who are on opening week rosters have their salaries guaranteed for the year, so the Panthers might wait so that they would be on the hook for the weeks those players are on the roster.