Bills Reuniting With Former Linebacker is Perfect Gamble as Offseason Slows Down

It’s June and for some reason the Buffalo Bills have not re-signed Shaq Thompson yet.

The veteran linebacker performed admirably for the Bills a season ago, and with Buffalo still figuring out its depth chart, injecting Thompson into an expected training camp competition would a perfect gamble.

That is, if he is willing to sign with the Bills. Thompson stated this offseason how he wasn’t willing to “play for pennies." The 32-year-old played the 2025 season on a one-year deal with a base salary of $1.2 million.

After helping the Bills solidify things at the center of their defense last year, he may feel he’s earned a heftier contract entering his 12th NFL season. However, if he and Buffalo can come to terms on a deal, his addition would be just what the doctor ordered, particularly following Dorian Williams’ injury which has kept him sidelined throughout the team’s offseason program.

If Williams is out for extended time, Bills could be in trouble

Buffalo Bills linebacker Dorian Williams (42) walks the field before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Bills don’t have much to speak of in terms of depth at the linebacker position. Beyond incumbent starter and captain Terrel Bernard are Williams and 2026 fourth-round pick Kaleb Elarms-Orr, both of whom would be stepping into their first seasons as full-time starters at the NFL level if they were to win the job.

Williams has previously started 22 games throughout his first three years in the league. But he has never done so while being a key member of the team’s starting lineup and is currently dealing with an apparent lower-body injury and his timeline for return is unknown.

Williams and Elarms-Orr appear set for a positional battle when the team heads for St. John Fisher University on July 29. That is, if Williams is indeed healthy.

If it turns out he is not ready for the start of camp, Joe Andreessen and Keonta Jenkins are back as the team’s other backup options. While Andreessen is a fan favorite and has shown flashes of brilliance during his young career, he has yet to prove himself as a reliable, starting-caliber linebacker. Jenkins has played in just three games without a start since entering the league.

The Bills should pull the trigger on Thompson

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) is tackled out of bounds by Buffalo Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson (45) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

If I were the Bills, I would be a bit concerned with the state of the position, which should lead them to do whatever they can to bring Thompson in over the next month and a half.

I previously wrote how Buffalo’s offseason could take a major turn if they signed Thompson or fellow former Bills LB Matt Milano. Not only do I believe it would shake things up before training camp, I believe it would lead to the development of a positive dynamic, only serving the team well in its quest to improve its performance defensively.

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