Shaq Thompson discusses future with the Panthers & how many years he has left in him

The Carolina Panthers veteran linebacker prefers to stay put.

Schuyler Callihan | Jan 6, 2025

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Carolina Panthers

Veteran Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and after two consecutive years of suffering season-ending injuries, there's no guarantee the organization will bring him back.

As he's iterated in previous years, if it were completely up to him, Thompson would stay put until he hangs up his cleats.

“I would love to end my career here," Thompson said in his exit interview with the media Monday morning. "One of the guys in history to play with one team. But that’s up to them. These two injuries are fluky. Everybody knows about the one last year and of course, this one this year there was nothing I could do. But it happened, get better, come back stronger. I probably got three. Three to four left in me.”

Shaq Thompson was drafted by the #Panthers. Spent his entire career in Carolina up until this point. He said he has 3-4 more years left in his career and wants to stay … and that it would mean a lot for him to finish his career with one team. pic.twitter.com/eREGO51YzV
— Alex Zietlow (@alexzietlow05) January 6, 2025

Before his broken fibula and torn Achilles injuries, Thompson was one of the most durable players on the Panthers' roster, appearing in 13 or more games in each of his first eight years in the league. This season, he was on pace to set a new single-season career high in tackles, totaling 35 stops through just four games.

Carolina could certainly opt to go in a different direction, but head coach Dave Canales, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, and general manager Dan Morgan know how important he is to this team as a performer and a leader. He's the heart, soul, and voice of that unit and has been since he took the reins from Luke Kuechly.