Longtime Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of his old team on Tuesday, ending an 11-year NFL career.
“Thank you @panthers for 10 amazing seasons and bringing me to this place that I now call home,” Stewart said, according to the team’s Twitter account. “Keep Pounding!!!”
Stewart, 32, was released by the New York Giants in February after playing in just three games last season before a season-ending foot injury, finishing with six carries for 17 yards.
Drafted 13th overall by Carolina in 2008, Stewart spent his first 10 NFL seasons with the Panthers, carrying 1,699 times for 7,318 yards and 51 touchdowns. The first two figures are franchise records, while he trails only Cam Newton (58) in rushing touchdowns.
Stewart earned his only Pro Bowl appearance in 2015, when he totaled 989 rushing yards and six scores as Carolina went 15-1 and reached Super Bowl 50, where he scored the Panthers’ only touchdown in a loss to the Denver Broncos. He topped 1,000 yards in 2009, hitting 1,133 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns with a career-high 5.1 yards per carry.
–Field Level Media
