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Julius Peppers' absence from the opening day of minicamp Friday wasn't a serious concern for Carolina Panthers players or coach John Fox.
Though Peppers, a franchise free agent, hasn't signed his contract tender offer, Fox said he doesn't expect the four-time Pro Bowl defensive end to join the team any later than the start of training camp.
“That's when our season starts,” said Fox.
However, neither Peppers nor his agent Carl Carey have commented on the situation in weeks.
Peppers didn't get his wish to become an unrestricted free agent in February because the Panthers placed their franchise tag on him, restricting his ability to go to another team.
He also didn't get traded before the NFL draft because no other team he was interested in was willing to make the mega-offer it would have taken to secure him, both in compensation for a new contract but also in the trade package the Panthers would have demanded.
Technically, Peppers could still be traded, but the chances of that are slim and the Panthers are planning for his return.
Fox said he doesn't expect there to be any negative ramifications of the past few months.
“I know he's working out and he'll be in great shape,” said Fox. “He's always stressed being the same guy and I'm sure he'll be the same guy.”
Unlike some fans, who might feel scorned by Peppers' desire to move to another team, Carolina players know the business side of football and say they'd welcome his return.
“If we were playing and he (wasn't) here, I'd be disappointed,” said quarterback Jake Delhomme. “But things have a way of working themselves out.
“As soon as I see him walk in that locker room, I won't look at him any differently. I'll look at him the way he is.”
Delhomme said he doesn't expect Peppers to be any different than in the past.
“He doesn't say anything,” said Delhomme. “He comes to practice, he comes to work, (and) he goes hard every day. He doesn't miss a practice at training camp. He's just Julius and he's a heck of a player.”
Middle linebacker Jon Beason, a Pro Bowler last season, said he has talked to Peppers recently and that he has “my fingers crossed” that Peppers will be back soon.
“We're good friends, and I want the best for him,” said Beason.
“If he wants to be somewhere else, he's going to have my blessing. “Obviously I want him here, but I definitely have love and respect for Pep first.”
Beason said being a free agent gives NFL players a chance to go to their favorite team if they weren't originally drafted by that team. Of course, the franchise tag severely complicates the process of reaching that goal.
One of Peppers' closest friends on the team is defensive tackle Damione Lewis, who said Peppers' absence from minicamp “doesn't make him a bad person” and shouldn't be taken as a definitive sign that Peppers is planning a prolonged holdout.
“I've been in a situation where this has happened before,” said Lewis. “When I was in St. Louis, (Pro Bowl offensive tackle) Orlando Pace didn't come to minicamp the year he was franchised. It's a normal deal.
“He just hasn't signed his franchise (tender) yet, so when he signs it, he'll be here.”
Lewis said Peppers remains widely respected by teammates as the leader of the defense.
“We love playing with him,” said Lewis. “We're going to take him in and (say) ‘Let's go, let's go.'
“From a players' perspective, there's nobody in the league who does it better, so we want him here. We want him to stay here.”
Lewis also doesn't expect Peppers to brood or be any less committed to the Panthers than he has been in the past.
“He's going to lock in,” said Lewis. “You remember what he did last year. He shut it down and didn't do interviews or (anything). He just focused in and went out and had (a career high) 14(1/2) sacks.
“So I'm not worrying about any of that stuff. When he comes here, he'll be ready to go, and we all know that. At the end of the day, it's about him making plays on Sunday and us feeding off of him. That's what we're ready to do.”
