Buffalo Bills' surprise star LB has lasting impact on team's Week 8 foe

The Buffalo Bills’ connection to their Week 8 foe, the Carolina Panthers, runs deep.

Head Coach Sean McDermott and General Manager Brandon Beane each made their bones in Carolina, while a list of players on the team’s roster have also spent time with the Panthers in the past.

That list includes surprise star linebacker Shaq Thompson, who started 112 games over 10 years in Carolina before he departed for Buffalo through free agency this past offseason. While leaving his time with the Panthers behind and forging ahead with his new team, Thompson’s impact on the teammates he left behind still remains.

“Shaq was a great player, taught me a lot throughout my career,” said Carolina defensive lineman Derrick Brown. “Really gave me the confidence as a young player to go out and execute and play free.”

Thompson’s time with the Panthers reached an abrupt end in September of last season, when he suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury. It was the second straight year that Thompson had cut short due to injury, which forced 2024 third-round pick Trevin Wallace into the team’s starting lineup in place of the veteran just five games into the youngster’s career.

“Just knowing that he was my vet last year and we still talk this year, it’s gonna be real fun,” said Wallace regarding the upcoming matchup with Thompson and the Bills. "I’m going to take things and still try to learn things even if he’s on a different sideline. I already know that, when the game is over, he’s going to say, ‘Hey Trev, I seen you do this and you could do this better.’ Or if I do something good, he’s going to let me know. So I already know what it’s going to be.”

MORE: 'Football player' Shaq Thompson gives Bills' young LBs chance to 'watch' and 'learn'

Wallace credited Thompson with aiding his rapid progression, something that the Panthers LB says the Bills’ veteran has continued to help him with even since switching teams.

“He text me yesterday because he is still watching film on me,” said Wallace on Wednesday. “He always gives me insight like, ‘Hey, you need to do this better, Trev. Or good job on this, but you can do this.’ And stuff like that.”

Wallace added, “He’s still invested in me. He’s still invested in knowing the player that I can be. He’s still invested in knowing, like what I can become. So I love that. Even when I text him, he be like, ‘This is coming from your big brother. Or your OG.’ Like, I see you need to do this better. And stuff like that. Just getting more insight from him and I love that.”

The Bills brought Thompson in as a depth piece before training camp, but he has since transformed into one of Buffalo’s most effective defenders this season.

Through five games played, Thompson has recorded 24 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and two passes defensed. He earned the start in Buffalo’s Week 6 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons with injured LB Matt Milano declared inactive. The 11-year pro has been active for all but one of the Bills’ six games this season, with the exception being the team’s Week 2 matchup with the New York Jets, amid dealing with hamstring and hand injuries.

With Milano nearing a return to the lineup, it’s unclear what the future holds for Thompson. But if history has proven anything, Thompson will continue to find a way to make a lasting impact on both his former team and his current team moving forward.

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