Carolina Panthers cornerback Charles Tillman suffered a torn ACL in Sunday's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, head coach Ron Rivera announced Monday.

Tillman played the previous few weeks with a partially torn ACL and the Panthers knew a full tear was a possibility, Rivera revealed.

Robert McClain is expected to step into Tillman's role as the starting corner opposite All-Pro candidate Josh Norman in what is becoming a depleted Panthers secondary.

Tillman appeared to be optimistic about the recovery process, thanking his fans on Twitter.

It's all good everybody. We're 15-1 and have a first round bye and home field through out the playoffs. 😎😎 — Charles Tillman (@peanuttillman) January 4, 2016

Tillman is 34 years old and it's fair to question whether he has played his last snap in the NFL. If that's the case, he will retire as a two-time Pro Bowler and former Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year winner.