Carolina Panthers legend gets another shot to pursue a Super Bowl after signing with a top AFC contender on the first day of minicamp

The Carolina Panthers are in an interesting time as a franchise and it's split a lot of the fanbase, even if the team is finally making the right decisions.

This team needed to fully embrace the rebuild process under the rookie window with quarterback Bryce Young, which meant moving on from some franchise legends.

Back in February, the Panthers bit the toughest bullet by electing not to re-sign linebacker Shaq Thompson, one of the longest tenured players on the roster and a long-time locker room leader.

"We appreciate Shaq's leadership and dedication over the past 10 seasons," general manager Dan Morgan said when the decision was made. "Always a source of passion and enthusiasm, he was committed to this organization on and off the field, poured into his teammates, and strived to bring out the best in them. We wish Shaq the best as he moves forward with his career."

While it was a tough decision to make from a fan standpoint, it was a sound decision from a football standpoint. Thompson turned 31-years-old in April and only played six games over the last two seasons for the Panthers due to a broken fibula and an Achilles tear.

At this point in his career, it wasn't best for him to be a part of another full-blown rebuild process in Carolina. Thompson has only a few years left of quality play to chase a Super Bowl, and on Tuesday he finally landed in the best situation.