Latest news with #ShaqThompson
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Panther Joins Bills in NFL Move That Feels Familiar
Former Panther Joins Bills in NFL Move That Feels Familiar originally appeared on Athlon Sports. For a decade, Shaq Thompson was the heartbeat of the Carolina Panthers' defense. He was a steady force, a leader in the locker room, and a fan favorite. Now, in a move that both stings and intrigues, the longtime linebacker is heading north to join the Buffalo Bills. Advertisement Thompson, 31, signed with Buffalo this week, officially closing the chapter on his 10-year career in Carolina, where he was a 2015 first-round draft pick and grew into the franchise's defensive captain. While the parting may be painful for Panthers fans, Thompson's new journey is deeply rooted in familiar soil. 'Man… got released from Carolina—that's the first step,' Thompson said with a grin during his first press conference as a Bill. 'But just stayed in connection with McDermott, with Beane, with Al Holcomb… we had that bond back in 2015.' That trio, Sean McDermott, Brandon Beane, and Al Holcomb was part of Thompson's early development in Carolina. Now all integral members of the Bills' leadership, they've built what many in the league jokingly call 'Carolina North,' a moniker for the pipeline that has delivered a steady stream of ex-Panthers to Orchard Park. Thompson joins a long list of former Panthers who've made the leap: Josh Norman, Star Lotulelei, Mario Addison, and A.J. Klein, among others. The connection runs deep, and apparently, so does the conversation. Advertisement 'Oh yeah, for sure,' Thompson laughed when asked about the 'Carolina North' running joke. 'Guys talk. You want to know what the other locker room is like, what's different, what's better, how they win.' For Panthers fans, Thompson's departure is bittersweet. He was more than just a linebacker, he was a cornerstone. With 818 career tackles, 12 sacks, and 4 interceptions across 119 starts, he embodied toughness and longevity in a franchise that's struggled with continuity. Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Adarius Taylor (57) and outside linebacker Jeremy Chinn (21) and outside linebacker Shaq Thompson (54) huddle before a game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium.© Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images But it wasn't just the stats. Thompson was there for the highs and the lows. From Super Bowl 50 to multiple coaching changes and rebuilds, he stayed, he led, and he gave everything to the city of Charlotte. Advertisement And now, he'll get a chance to prove he's still got plenty left in the tank, just wearing a different shade of blue. The football gods have a sense of humor, though. Panthers fans won't have to wait long to see their old friend again. In Week 8, Thompson returns to Bank of America Stadium as the Bills face the Panthers in a matchup already circled on every Carolina calendar. For a player who gave everything to one team for a decade, Thompson's journey continues with purpose, and maybe a little unfinished business. Related: Cam Newton Launches New BET Show, 106 & Sports Related: Could Panthers Land Hometown Hero Jaire Alexander This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Bills LB Shaq Thompson is asked about the Panthers and the Carolina-to-Buffalo pipeline
Bills LB Shaq Thompson is asked about the Panthers and the Carolina-to-Buffalo pipeline Carolina Panthers football is the only thing linebacker Shaq Thompson has ever known over the entirety of his 10-year NFL career. But now he's shuffling off to Buffalo, where he'll have to learn a different culture under a few familiar faces. Thompson, who was not brought back by the Panthers for an 11th season, officially signed with the Buffalo Bills on Monday. The 31-year-old veteran spoke with reporters shortly following the announcement, and explained how he found himself in Orchard Park, N.Y. "Man . . . got released from Carolina—that's the first step," Thompson said jokingly. "But just stayed in connection with [Sean] McDermott, with [Brandon] Beane, with Al Holcomb. Just staying in connection with them, updating them just on surgeries and rehabs and where I'm at and stuff like that. I've been there with them in 2015, in Carolina. So kinda just always had that bond there." Carolina selected Thompson in the first round of the 2015 draft. At the time, Beane was their assistant general manager, McDermott was their defensive coordinator and Holcomb was their linebackers coach. Thompson won't be the first Panther to migrate up north. In fact, he's just the latest transplant to go through the famous Carolina-to-Buffalo pipeline—joining the likes of former teammates Mike Tolbert, Kelvin Benjamin, Corey Brown, Joe Webb, Daryl Williams, Greg Van Roten, Star Lotulelei, Vernon Butler, Mario Addison, Efe Obada, A.J. Klein, Josh Norman, Captain Munnerlyn, Daryl Worley, Leonard Johnson, Kurt Coleman and more. So Thompson, in what was probably the best question of his presser, was asked if players talk to each other about the running joke that is "Carolina North." "Yeah, for sure," he replied with a smile. "And there's other multiple teams that also kinda allude to that as well. But there's a lot of guys that came from Carolina, played here and they loved it. Or vice versa—guys from up there come down here and we talk about whatever. Because when people come from a different team, you wanna know how the organization is, what runs different, how do you guys win the games, what's the team environment, what's the team chemistry." That pipeline will be revisited later this year, when Thompson and the Bills face off against the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Week 8. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bills sign former Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson, coming off 2 injury-shortened seasons
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills signed Shaq Thompson to a one-year contract on Tuesday, in providing the veteran linebacker an opportunity to continue his career after two injury-shortened seasons. The 31-year-old Thompson was not re-signed by Carolina in March after spending his first 10 seasons with the Panthers. He joins the Bills, where he's reunited with coach Sean McDermott, who was Carolina's defensive coordinator during Thompson's first two seasons with the team after being selected in the first round of the 2015 draft. Advertisement Thompson is also familiar with Bills linebackers coach Al Holcomb and general manager, Brandon Beane, who have previous ties to the player's time in Carolina. 'I was a young pup back in the day, now 11 years, seasoned vet, so time is coming around,' Thompson said. 'You never thought it would happen to yourself, but everything is a blessing. Everything happens in God's hands and fortunately I came here and I'm happy here.' Thompson was a starter in Carolina from his rookie season, and enjoyed a stretch from 2019-2022 in which he topped 100 tackles each year, before being slowed by injuries. He's appeared in just six games over the past two years after breaking his ankle in 2023 and then tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 4 the following year. Thompson did not practice Tuesday, and said he expects to be ready to begin for the start of training camp next month. Advertisement He then dismissed the notion of his body beginning to wear down. 'Only me and myself know my body and my mindset. And one thing about me I would never end my career on an injury,' said Thompson, who appeared in 123 games Carolina. Thompson fills a veteran depth role on a Bills defense featuring a two-linebacker system, and behind returning starters Terrel Bernard and Matt Milano. ___ AP NFL:
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Bills sign former Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson, coming off 2 injury-shortened seasons
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills signed Shaq Thompson to a one-year contract on Tuesday, in providing the veteran linebacker an opportunity to continue his career after two injury-shortened seasons. The 31-year-old Thompson was not re-signed by Carolina in March after spending his first 10 seasons with the Panthers. He joins the Bills, where he's reunited with coach Sean McDermott, who was Carolina's defensive coordinator during Thompson's first two seasons with the team after being selected in the first round of the 2015 draft. Thompson is also familiar with Bills linebackers coach Al Holcomb and general manager, Brandon Beane, who have previous ties to the player's time in Carolina. 'I was a young pup back in the day, now 11 years, seasoned vet, so time is coming around,' Thompson said. 'You never thought it would happen to yourself, but everything is a blessing. Everything happens in God's hands and fortunately I came here and I'm happy here.' Thompson was a starter in Carolina from his rookie season, and enjoyed a stretch from 2019-2022 in which he topped 100 tackles each year, before being slowed by injuries. He's appeared in just six games over the past two years after breaking his ankle in 2023 and then tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 4 the following year. Thompson did not practice Tuesday, and said he expects to be ready to begin for the start of training camp next month. He then dismissed the notion of his body beginning to wear down. 'Only me and myself know my body and my mindset. And one thing about me I would never end my career on an injury,' said Thompson, who appeared in 123 games Carolina. Thompson fills a veteran depth role on a Bills defense featuring a two-linebacker system, and behind returning starters Terrel Bernard and Matt Milano. ___ AP NFL:
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Bills sign LB Shaq Thompson to one-year contract
Bills sign LB Shaq Thompson to one-year contract The Buffalo Bills are working their way through their offseason activities as they seek to get ready for a 2025 NFL season that will hopefully result in them getting to the Super Bowl. With the 2025 NFL Draft in the rearview, Buffalo is getting ready for the regular season while continuing to add talent to the roster to ensure the best players make the team. The Bills announced on Tuesday that they signed linebacker Shaq Thompson to a one-year contract, the details of which have not been reported as of this writing. With the addition of Thompson, the Bills move into minicamp and the rest of the offseason with a linebacker core of Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard, and Dorian Williams, among others, as the team progresses through the offseason. Thompson, 31, is coming off a 2024 season in which he played in just four games for the Carolina Panthers as he suffered a torn Achilles during the campaign in which he compiled 35 tackles. That injury-filled 2024 season followed a 2023 campaign in which he played just two games after suffering a broken fibula after putting up eight tackles prior to the injury. Prior to 2023, Thompson had a healthy and productive career as he played in at least 14 games from 2015 to 2022 while compiling 709 tackles, 12.0 sacks, and 26 passes deflected during his time in Carolina. 2022 was his most productive season to date as he put up 135 total tackles and four passes defended while playing (and starting) in all 17 games for the Panthers. Thompson, the 25th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Washington, will be hoping to make a Bills squad that is coming off a 13-4 season that ended with them losing in the AFC Championship Game to the Kansas City Chiefs. According to Bills PR, Thompson is one of eight active players in the NFL with a four-season stretch in which they have had at least 100 tackles.
