CHARLOTTE – The Panthers are building for the future, and they secured an important foundational piece before the end of the 2019 season.
Linebacker Shaq Thompson has signed a four-year extension, keeping him under contract through the 2023 season.
"Shaq is our type of person and our type of player," general manager Marty Hurney said. "He's proven that he can play linebacker at a very high level, and he's got all the traits you want. He's smart, he's physical, he can run and he's very versatile. He fits the blueprint for what we want at the position."
Thompson, a first-round pick from Washington in 2015, has been playing under the fifth-year option in 2019. It's been a career year for the 25-year-old, who moved into a more prominent role following the departure of longtime Panther Thomas Davis.
This season, Thompson has recorded a career-high 93 tackles (101 according to coaches' stats) and three sacks along with three passes defensed.
In five NFL seasons, Thompson has career totals of 394 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 13 passes defensed, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries, including one returned for a touchdown.
View the top photos of linebacker Shaq Thompson during his fifth NFL season.
