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Shaq Thompson has been broken and torn in his past two seasons, but he's apparently not done with the NFL.
The former All-America linebacker for the University of Washington has signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills as he attempts to play an 11th pro football season.
The last two years for the Carolina Panthers, his place of employment for a decade, were not kind to him. Thompson appeared in just six games in that time after suffering a broken fibula in 2023 and a torn Achilles tendon last season.
The 6-foot, 230-pound Thompson now turns to a Buffalo franchise that has another former UW player, Edefuan Ulofoshio, in the linebacker mix, plus a former Husky safety in Taylor Rapp in the starting lineup.
Carolina chose not to re-sign him following all of his ongoing health travails and advancing age, and released him on February 24th.
We’ve signed LB Shaq Thompson to a one-year contract!https://t.co/kDHenkh9qi | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/M6aeeNU812
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) June 10, 2025
A first-round draft pick in 2015, Thompson played in 123 games and started 112 for the Panthers. He piled up 752 tackles, 12 sacks, 3 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries while putting a lot of wear and tear on his body.
Such a talented and versatile athlete from Sacramento, California, who was considered a 5-star recruit, Thompson played linebacker, cornerback, safety and running back for the Huskies. He also had a minor-league baseball stint.
However, he became an NFL institution at linebacker for Carolina, starting immediately after coming to the franchise as the 25th overall pick of the 2015 draft.
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