From the time he was taken in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, Thomas Davis' ambition had been to win a Super Bowl title with the Carolina Panthers. He came close - But that ambition ultimately never came true. With the Panthers having moved on from Davis and Davis still seeking to continue his playing career, the Panthers' all-time great linebacker is among the many NFL figures in Atlanta for Super Bowl LIII. And for Davis, playing future games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium is not outside of the realm of possibility.

Speaking with Brian Hall of WFMY in Greensboro, Davis stated that there was once a time where he would have completely rejected the notion of ever playing for an NFC South rival like the Atlanta Falcons. However, with Davis now a free agent and his options still uncertain, the Shellman, Georgia native has since changed his tune.

"In the past, my mindset was always I would never play for a divisional rival, opponent, none of that," said Davis. "But at this point right now, for me, it's all about finding out who wants me to play for them. If I had an opportunity to come back to Georgia, to play right here in front of a bunch of Georgia Bulldog fans and get to play the Panthers two times a year - That would be a great opportunity for me that I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to pass up."

For Panthers fans who came to love Davis, seeing him in a Falcons jersey would be an unpleasant sight. However, a move to the Falcons would make sense for Davis given his being from Georgia and his having played for the University of Georgia. Not only that, but playing for a division rival towards the end of one's career has never been particularly verboten in the NFL - Nor has it ultimately affected the legacies of players like Falcons All-Pro defensive end Chuck Smith or New Orleans Saints safety Roman Harper, who both played for the Panthers in the twilight of their careers.

Speaking further with Hall, Davis admitted that he was "devastated" when the Panthers told him that they would not re-sign for the 2019 season, instead allowing him to become a free agent for the first time ever.

"You think about 14 years and never being a free agent, that's one of the things that I always took pride in," said Davis. "Being able to say that I played for one team my entire career. But at the same time, I know that I still have a lot of football left in me. I'm looking forward now to the opportunity to suit up for someone and just really showing and proving that."

There's no guarantees as of right now that "someone" will be the Falcons. But if Atlanta does indeed come calling for Davis, the Panthers may have to confront the reality of one of their greatest players ever competing directly against them.