"She said, 'Babe, just roll 'til the wheels fall off,'" Muhammad said of his wife's advice. "So we're rolling."

Muhammad remains in exquisite physical condition, with very little body fat and the six-pack abs most males only dream about. He's showing no signs of decline and says "I'll definitely be back" next season for the second year of the two-year contract he signed with the Panthers in February.

"I think I still have some really good years left playing in this game and I have no thoughts about retiring right now," he said.

That won't change, he affirmed, even if the Panthers win the Super Bowl.

Muhammad made it clear he wants to play beyond his current contract and said he hopes to finish his career with Carolina. He played for the Panthers from 1996 until 2004, then left for a three-year stay in Chicago because he and the Panthers couldn't reach contract terms prior to the '05 season.

Muhammad said he hopes he never has to play for another team.

"I'd like to see everything work out here and be able to play my last years as a Panther," he said. "That's what I would like, but obviously this is a business, so I'm not exactly sure how everything is going to turn out.

"I never really wanted to go (the first time), but this business is what it is. ... We were able to, I guess, reconcile, come back to terms and this thing has worked out good for both of us."

Muhammad's reunion season has gone better than almost anyone expected. There was speculation last spring about whether he or fellow free agent signee D.J. Hackett would start at receiver alongside Steve Smith.

But the competition between Muhammad and Hackett wasn't close.

Hackett has appeared in nine games, catching 13 passes for 181 yards and no touchdowns.

Muhammad has had the fifth most productive season of his 13-year career with 65 catches for 923 yards and five touchdowns. He's averaged 14.1-yards per reception, better than his 13.5 career average.

Muhammad has had eight dropped passes, tied for seventh most in the league, but regularly stays after practice to work on his receiving.

His blocking doesn't show up in his statistics, but has been a big key to the Panthers having the most productive rushing season in team history.

Asked if he's surprised to still be playing so well at 35, Muhammad said:

"I would say that (if you'd) asked me that when I was 25, I probably wouldn't have thought I'd be able to do (this) at 35," he said. "But I just never underestimate what hard work and dedication and love for the game can do for you.

"I still feel like I've got some of my best years ahead of me. I'm having a lot of fun out here playing. I'm in a system that works pretty good for what I do."

Muhammad said this is the best Carolina team on which he's played. He was a rookie when the '96 Panthers reached the NFC championship game and was one of its stars in '03 when they went to the Super Bowl and lost to New England.

This year's team is 12-4 and enjoying a first-round playoff bye before hosting a home game Jan.10.

"We have a great combination of youth and veteran leadership," Muhammad said. "The talent level is extremely high. We have guys who are playing fast and have been able to stay healthy for the most part throughout the season, so the talent we started the year with is the talent we've had throughout the season."

Muhammad said he's enjoying playing even more now than five years ago when the Panthers went to the Super Bowl.

"So far, it's been awesome," he said. "As opposed to the Super Bowl year, (quarterback) Jake (Delhomme) was fairly new to the system. We had a limited number of things that we did.

"With (the) maturity and comfort we have right now, everybody is a lot more relaxed out there and we're playing faster than we did then."

But Muhammad said the Panthers won't be satisfied until they succeed where the '03 team failed.

"We definitely want to be working toward the ultimate goal," he said. "Getting to the playoffs wasn't the goal we set for the season. It was to win a championship.

"Until we get to that point, we won't be reflecting. We'll be pressing forward."

Charles Chandler: (704) 358-5123

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