NEW YORK (Reuters) - Four-time Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith has come off the physically unable to perform list and returned to practice nearly two months after breaking his arm, the Carolina Panthers said on Monday.
Smith broke his left forearm in late June while playing recreational non-contact football, but Panthers coach John Fox was hopeful Smith would be ready for Carolina's regular-season opener against the New York Giants on September 12.
"We'll have plenty of time to get him sharp. He's always come in great shape," Fox told the team's website (www.panthers.com). "I feel compelled to have him ready for that opener and whatever that takes getting him ready."
Smith, 31, led Carolina receivers with 65 catches, 982 yards and seven touchdowns last season as the team compiled an 8-8 record and failed to reach the playoffs.
(Writing by Larry Fine, Editing by Frank Pingue)
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