If there was a gloomy moment for the Panthers during their destruction of the Cardinals in the NFC Championship game, it was when linebacker Thomas Davis left the field with his right arm immobilized by the training staff. The injury, a broken arm, turned out to be as bad as it looked, but Davis said after the game that he still plans on playing in the Super Bowl.
It’s hard to say whether Davis will be able to make good on his promise without knowing exactly what kind of break he suffered, but it’s not impossible to imagine a hairline fracture being treated to the point that playing becomes an issue of pain tolerance. Davis is clearly hoping that’s the case, telling reporters after the game, “I believe in me. This is something that if it comes down to a pain tolerance and playing through it, I will be there. I guarantee to you.”
Early this morning, Davis’s wife posted an Instagram photo suggesting that Davis was already in surgery:
You can’t blame Davis for wanting to will himself into the Super Bowl. This is a guy who once tore his ACL three times in as many years, and is the last Panther remaining from Carolina’s last trip to the Super Bowl NFC Championship game in 2005. That was Davis’s rookie year, and now 10 years and multiple would-be career-ending injuries later, he finally has a chance to get the Super Bowl.