The Carolina Panthers have marked the end of an era.
On Monday morning, the Panthers announced that they will not be re-signing linebacker Shaq Thompson.
President of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan issued the following statement on Thompson, who will be entering free agency at the start of the new league year:
“We appreciate Shaq’s leadership and dedication over the past 10 seasons. 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.”
Thompson, a first-round pick by Carolina back in 2015, has played each of his 10 seasons and 123 games in the NFL as a Panther. He’s amassed 752 total tackles, 12.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and three interceptions.
A broken fibula and a torn Achilles tendon limited the now-30-year-old to just six games over the past two seasons.