Carolina Panthers removing statue of founder Jerry Richardson

The Carolina Panthers are removing the statue of former owner Jerry Richardson from its current location in front of Bank of America Stadium, citing concerns “there may be attempts to take it down.”

The team announced Wednesday that the statue is being relocated to an undisclosed location.

“We were aware of the most recent conversation surrounding the Jerry Richardson statue and are concerned there may be attempts to take it down,” the team said. “We are moving the statue in the interest of public safety.”

Richardson sold the team to David Tepper in 2018, after an NFL investigation found multiple instances of sexual and racial misconduct.

Speculation grew online that the statue could be removed by protestors against systemic racism after the death of George Floyd two weeks ago.