Falcons QB Desmond Ridder Praises Panthers 'Heart and Soul' Shaq Thompson

Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson will be a point of emphasis for the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 8, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder will make just his fifth NFL start on Sunday when they take on the Carolina Panthers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

It will be the first time Ridder faces the Panthers in his career, but he's got his eye on a player who's very familiar to the NFC South rivalry.

“Yeah, obviously, Shaq [Thompson] is kind of the heart and soul of that defense; everything kind of runs through him," Ridder said. "He’s a guy who’s been in the league a little while and has seen a lot of ball. Very instinctive."

Thompson is coming off a 12.5-sack season and has had at least 7.5 sacks in every season of his career. He's also a player who has caught coach Arthur Smith's attention.

shaq thompson 3 — © Bob Donnan, USA TODAY

"They still, in my opinion, have one of the better inside backers in the league in Shaq Thompson," Smith said. "So it’s the division. With him and Demario [Davis], both of them are very good inside linebackers. Smart players, tough, set the tone."

Ridder isn't just zoned in on Thompson. He's got his eye on several Panthers defenders who will try knocking him off his game on Sunday.

"There’s a couple of key guys that we have to be sure to take care of, both out front and on the outsides," Ridder said. "But like I said, it’s a team that’s going to come in here and play hard until the whistle blows, and we just have to be ready for that and give it back to them.”

Ridder and the Falcons face the Panthers on Sunday at 1 p.m. inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Published Sep 8, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.