With Steve Smith confirming his retirement, it makes sense for him to ink a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers and retire as a member of the team that drafted him.
Just don’t ask Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman about it. Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk captured the exchange:
When asked during a season wrap-up press conference if he’d sign the former Ravens wideout to a ceremonial deal, Gettleman paused, stepped back from the podium, took a long swig of water and grinned.
“That’s way above my pay grade,” he said, via Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review. “Way above. Next.”
Gettleman and Smith, of course, had an ugly split when the two sides broke off the partnership after 13 seasons. Smith had one year left on his deal but wasn’t meshing well with guys like Cam Newton, so the front office decided it was best to move on from the veteran wideout.
Smith went on to have a few successful years with the Baltimore Ravens, though put on a show in revenge games against the Panthers and didn’t always have the nicest comments about the team.
Even so, Gettleman’s refusal to step into the fray shouldn’t discourage fans, as Smith is likely to retire with the team that brought him into the league.
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