Hurting Panthers ink veteran QB Testaverde; Delhomme to IR

The Carolina Panthers signed 43-year-old quarterback Vinny Testaverde on Wednesday, the same day that the club officially ended quarterback Jake Delhomme's season by placing him on injured reserve.

Delhomme will have season-ending ligament-replacement surgery next week, and backup QB David Carr suffered a back injury in Carolina's 16-13 win over New Orleans on Sunday, leaving his status uncertain for this Sunday's game at Arizona.

Testaverde ranks sixth in NFL history with 6,529 pass attempts, 3,693 completions and 45,281 passing yards. His 270 touchdown passes are ninth overall, and he is tied for 10th in league history with 30 300-yard passing games. His best season came in 1996 when he earned his first career Pro Bowl selection with Baltimore after passing for career highs of 4,177 yards and 33 touchdowns on 325-of-549 passing with 19 interceptions.

A 20-year veteran, Testaverde has played in 226 career games with 208 starts. He entered the NFL as the first overall pick of the 1987 NFL Draft by Tampa Bay after playing at Miami, where he won the 1986 Heisman Trophy, and played six seasons with the Buccaneers before spending five years with the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens and six seasons with the New York Jets. Testaverde then had one-year stints with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets and New England Patriots.

Testaverde attended training camp with New England this year and played in three games for the Patriots last season, completing two of three passes for 29 yards and one touchdown.