Although a formal announcement was not made for it, Carolina Panthers RB DeShaun Foster is now the starting back for the rest of the season. Former starting RB Stephen Davis relinquished his role to Foster, effective this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I'm pretty sure that's going to happen," Davis said. "I've just got to stay positive about the whole situation and I'm happy for him. He deserves the opportunity to start."

Davis has carried the ball 16 times for 39 yards in the past three weeks, while Foster has 54 carries for 246 yards. The numbers speak for themselves, but Davis still has a good chance to see carries in short-yardage situations.

Davis is not upset about the situation and will do anything that betters the team.

"I'm a professional football player, and I'm going to be a professional about it," Davis said. "Number one, it's a guy I really care about ... all the other stuff don't matter. I just want him to go out there and be great."

The Panthers running game has not been very good this year, forcing Jake Delhomme to rely on the passing game more than he would like to. Last week, however, Foster had a breakout game against their division rivals, the Atlanta Falcons. Foster could be playing to impress the Panthers for next year, since he is in the final year of his contract.

As for Davis, it is not clear whether or not he will be with the Panthers next year or not. They could keep one or both of them, but it is highly unlikely that both of them will be gone.