Panthers veteran channels predecessor as he faces uncertain future

When he was drafted, Shaq Thompson was the youthful linebacker brought in to help usher out an aging veteran and Carolina Panthers franchise icon. Thomas Davis, the incumbent, was on his way out when Thompson first arrived. Now, the tables have turned.

After multiple significant injuries, including a torn Achilles this season, a comeback is hard to envision. That, plus a bit of an expensive price tag, indicates that his time in Carolina is short. If it is, he knows what to expect thanks to the player he replaced on defense.

Shaq Thompson may experience what he did to Thomas Davis

Shaq Thompson would love to finish his career in Carolina. But he also knows those fairytale endings don't always work out.
How? He's been on the other end of it with another Panthers LB and franchise icon.
Happy Monday.https://t.co/LRX5FZFL03
— Joe Person (@josephperson) January 13, 2025

Shaq Thompson has been a longtime standout with the Carolina Panthers, but he may not be for long. The Panthers are looking at a youth movement, and his age and injury history don't bode well. It's a situation Thomas Davis experienced after the 2015 NFL Draft.

Thompson was selected and eventually took Davis' spot. In 2024, Trevin Wallace was picked, and he might take Thompson's spot. “I’m in his position now, " Thompson said via The Athletic. "(The Panthers) drafted Trev. … I think he played well when he was out there. I can’t be more excited for him.”

That doesn't mean Thompson is going to roll over. “T.D.’s just giving me a lot of motivation to get back,” Thompson went on. “Everybody knows what he went through. I got really nothing compared to that. I feel like I can come back from it.” Davis suffered three different ACL tears and still played at a high level.

Dec 17, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs the ball against Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Thomas Davis (58) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Thompson wants to stay, but he knows what the situation is. “I would love to end my career here. Be one of the guys in history to play with one team,” he noted. “But it’s up to them. These two injuries … there’s nothing I can do. But it happened. Get better and come back strong.” It remains to be seen how the Panthers will proceed in free agency and the draft when it comes to linebacker.

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