Suspended Panther King Enters Rehabilitation Clinic

Suspended Carolina Panther defensive end Shawn King has been admitted to a rehabilitation clinic for treatment of alcohol abuse and depression, according to his father.

King was suspended Dec. 31 for repeatedly missing team meetings. He checked himself into the undisclosed center Monday.

His father, David, said his son missed the meetings because of late-night partying at the player’s home in Lake Wylie, S.C., a Charlotte suburb.

King is the second Panther player to go into a rehabilitation clinic this season. Center Curtis Whitley spent several weeks in a clinic after being suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s alcohol-abuse policy. Whitley has returned to the team and will be suited up when the Panthers play Green Bay on Sunday for the NFC championship.

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Green Bay backup quarterback Jim McMahon said he wasn’t sure how much longer he would play, despite comments from a teammate that McMahon has talked about retiring should the Packers win the Super Bowl.

“I think he’s going to finish after this year,” tight end Mark Chmura said. “He’s talked about it.”

“We’ll wait and see,” McMahon, 37, said. “Physically I feel fine. I could play another three, four [years] if I wanted to.”