"Throughout the offseason, speculation swirled about the future of Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith.

Yet one day after meeting with general manager Marty Hurney and coach Ron Rivera, Smith repeated what he told his bosses: He plans to remain with Carolina this season and beyond.

"For me I'm always going to be a Panther," Smith said Thursday from Charlotte. "They took a shot on me when I was coming from nowhere and now I'm going into my 11th year in the league. This will be where I retire, whether that's five years from now or one year from now."

Smith did have lengthy discussions with his wife about what they wanted to do in the future and where they wanted to be. But in the end, they decided the best place for them was Carolina."