Testaverde grabs another chance with Carolina

MIAMI (Reuters) - Quarterback Vinny Testaverde, who made his NFL return at the age of 43, said he is grateful to the Carolina Panthers for giving him another chance in the game.

Testaverde made his comeback on Sunday and led Carolina to victory over the Arizona Cardinals. He became the third oldest quarterback to start an NFL game and the oldest to win one.

The Panthers signed up Testaverde on Wednesday after their starting quarterback, Jake Delhomme, was ruled out for the season with an elbow injury. Delhomme's backup, David Carr, has been struggling to recover from a back injury.

"I'm just glad they believed a guy my age could come in and help them win," Testaverde told the team's Web site (http://www.panthers.com).

"There were a lot of challenges for me coming in on short notice. The age is a challenge for me and so was working with new guys in the huddle, so there were a lot of challenges and a lot of guys stepped up to help us win."

The Panthers beat the Cardinals 25-10 and despite having had only four days to get to grips with his new team's approach, Brooklyn-born Testaverde delivered a steady performance.

"I didn't return any phone calls," he said.

"I was too busy studying my playbook and making sure when I stepped on the field the next day I knew what I was doing. If I was to play, I wanted guys to see that I was ready, and for them to have confidence that we could win this game."

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