CHARLOTTE, N.C. (News Release) — Former Carolina Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson announced his retirement from the National Football League on Wednesday.
Johnson retires as the franchise leader in regular season games played by a defensive lineman with 143, and ranks second in team history with 67.5 sacks, 20 forced fumbles and 12 multi-sack games.
After starting just four games in his first three seasons, Johnson emerged as a full-time starter in 2010, notching a then career-high 11.5 sacks in 16 games. That began a string of five consecutive seasons (2010-14) with at least 8.5 sacks, including a career-high 12.5 in 2012. Over that five-season period, Johnson’s 52.5 sacks tied for the fifth-highest total in the NFL.
In 2013, Johnson tallied 11 sacks to become the first player in team history with at least nine sacks in four consecutive seasons (2010-13) and became one of three players, joining Kevin Greene and Julius Peppers, with 10 or more sacks in three seasons.
In 2015, Johnson battled injuries, but returned to play an integral part in the Panthers postseason, notching a franchise playoff record three sacks in the team’s run to the NFC Championship and appearance in Super Bowl 50.
A third-round draft choice by the Panthers in 2007 from the University of Georgia, Johnson played all 11 seasons (2007-2017) of his NFL career in Carolina. Johnson was part of a top-10 NFL defense in six of his 11 seasons, including a run of four consecutive top-10 finishes from 2012-15.
Johnson finishes his career with 352 tackles, 67.5 sacks, 211 quarterback pressures, 28 pass deflections and 20 forced fumbles.
