Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis says he will retire after the 2018 season, according to an interview with NFL Media.

Davis, 34, said he'll fulfill his remaining contract and then call it a career.

"This will definitely be my last year coming up," Davis said. "One of the reasons is I want to continue my contractual obligations. I signed on for a one-year extension, and I want to complete that. I've never been a guy to quit anything and I'm not going to start doing that now."

Davis is a two-time Pro Bowl selection who made First-Team All-Pro in 2015. Beyond his outstanding play, he also earned the admiration of fans and players around the league for his perseverance in recovering from three ACL tears that ended his 2009, ’10 and ’11 seasons. Davis is the first professional athlete to return to action after three ACL surgeries.

He was also named the 2014 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year.

Selected by the Panthers No. 14 overall out of Georgia in the 2005 NFL Draft, Davis has become a favorite of Panthers fans. Now, he says, he wants more time to spend with his family.

"As a father, I want to be able to spend as much time with them as I possibly can — and being an NFL player, that's not always the case," Davis said.

Davis is still chasing an elusive goal in his final season — a Super Bowl ring.

"That's the reason why you play this game," he said. "It's not about the money. It's not about being famous. It's about competing with your teammates and going out and winning a ring. That's eluded me for 13 years now."