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CHARLOTTE (AP) — When Charles Godfrey broke his left hand last month he was given two options: Let it heal naturally and play with a bulky cast for six weeks or undergo surgery to insert a permanent plate and screws.

The decision was easy for Godfrey. So what if the Carolina free safety may occasionally set off metal detectors for the rest of his life?

"This is my life right now. So if that's what it takes for me to get back on the field then that's what it takes," Godfrey said. "They didn't have to persuade me. They told me I'd have to wear a club for six weeks. I'm not going that route."

Godfrey walked around Thursday — 19 days after suffering the injury in an exhibition game at Miami — fully able to clench and move his left hand. Eight stitches cover the top of his hand near the broken metacarpel bone. The plates and screws are buried under the skin.

The surgery, "artificial healing" as coach John Fox called it, is a way to rapidly repair a broken bone in that part of the hand.

No plaster cast required.

"By putting a plate and screws in there it (serves as) an artificial bone," Fox said.

It's allowed Godfrey to practice as normal this week with just a small wrap on his hand — not the bulky casts that have hampered other defensive backs.

Former Panthers safety Colin Branch played with a club on his hand in part of the 2004 season. In Seattle he tried to scoop up a loose ball, only to knock it out of bounds. The Seahawks kept the ball and scored a key touchdown.

"Sometimes you live and learn," Fox said. "The good thing about this is you can move it. You're not playing with a club. In a skill position we thought this was a better way to go. It heals artificially."

Still, those plates and screws aren't going away. If Godfrey had gone the usual route of getting the hand set and worn a cast, he wouldn't have metal in his body.

"They gave me a choice," Godfrey said, "and I felt that it was the best choice for me and the team."

Godfrey, a 2008 third-round pick who became an immediate starter as a rookie, has been the model patient in his recovery. Determined not to miss the opener Sunday against Philadelphia, he's taken rehab to a new level.

"If they told me to go to sleep and keep my hand elevated, well, for me that means keeping my hand elevated all day," Godfrey said. "So I walked around with my hand elevated. Just taking it overboard so I can hurry up and get back. If I ice it here, I go home and ice it. That's the approach I took and now I'm back Week 1."

Godfrey's return has added importance because stating strong safety Chris Harris' status for Sunday's game is uncertain after he injured his left knee on Wednesday. Harris missed practice on Thursday, and Quinton Teal is the backup to both Godfrey and Harris.

Godfrey has been experimenting with different wraps for his hand to protect the incision and stitches. He's not worried about what's underneath the skin, just that those plates and screws mean that if the ball comes his way Sunday, he has a chance at an interception.

"Yeah," Godfrey said, smiling and flexing his hand, "I've caught a couple."