Long-time Carolina Panthers weapon leaves team for Raiders

A Carolina Panthers mainstay has departed for the Las Vegas Raiders in NFL free agency.

Oct 13, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Ian Thomas (80) before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers just lost a long-time member of their offense, as tight end Ian Thomas has agreed to join the Las Vegas Raiders.

ESPN's Adam Schefter was the first to report the news.

Thomas, who played his collegiate football at Indiana, was originally selected by the Panthers in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft and appeared to have significant potential.

He displayed some of it during his freshman campaign, playing in every game and hauling in 36 receptions for 333 yards and a couple of touchdowns. While those weren't great numbers, they weren't bad for a rookie, especially with Greg Olsen still on the roster at the time.

However, that proved to be Thomas' most productive year in Carolina, as he failed to reach 200 yards in any one individual season afterward.

Over the last couple of campaigns, as a matter of fact, the 28-year-old has amassed a grand total of eight catches for 63 yards. Injuries limited him to just 17 contests combined in 2023 and 2024, but even when healthy, Thomas was clearly not prioritized in the Panthers' aerial attack.

To be fair, Thomas did a fine job as a blocker in Carolina, but he was not the weapon the Panthers thought they were getting when they drafted him.

Now, the Baltimore native will link up with a Raiders team that already houses one of the league's best tight ends in Brock Bowers, not to mention Michael Mayer as the No. 2 at the position. Chances are, Thomas won't see a whole lot of action.

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