Earlier today, Panthers left tackle Jordan Gross gave a statement to the Associated Press regarding the restructured contract that he signed, and the sentiment behind his quote is simple: he wanted to remain a Carolina Panther.
From Steve Reed of the AP:
"the Panthers and I came to an agreement that everyone was happy with and allowed me to continue my career in Carolina. ... I wanted to be a Panther and this contract echoes that sentiment."
According to Reed, the Panthers gain $3.2M in cap relief for the 2013 season, and Gross becomes a free agent at season's end. How the Panthers organization decides to proceed after the season is over largely depends on the 2013 draft. If they are able to find a suitable heir to Gross' throne in this year's draft (Lane Johnson, anyone?), then they will probably decide to let Gross sign elsewhere.
However, if Gettleman isn't able to find a prospect he likes next month, it's possible that Gross could return in 2014 on a more team-friendly deal if no one else in the league is willing to pay him more money for his services. The important thing is this: for 2013 Jordan Gross is a Carolina Panther, and whether or not it is is last season in electric blue may be unknown - he did the organization a solid to stay here.
That says a lot about the kind of person he is, and the team is lucky to have guys like him on the roster - even if it is only for one more year.