Bills coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane relied on their past experience when deciding whether to add their newest linebacker.
New Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson (left) was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the 25th pick in 2015.
Rusty Jones, Associated Press
Thompson, 31, appeared in 123 games across 10 seasons with the Panthers, but he was limited to only six games over the past two seasons.
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A broken fibula ended his 2023 season in Week 2, and a torn Achilles ended his 2024 season in Week 4. He was one of only two Panthers remaining from the 2015 team that went 15-1 with McDermott as defensive coordinator and lost in the Super Bowl to the Denver Broncos. Thompson has dealt with knee, foot and ankle injuries since that memorable season, and he was released by Carolina in February. His 470 tackles rank fourth in Panthers history.
"We drafted Shaq when Brandon and I were both there," McDermott said of Thompson. "Really good player, tough, smart. He's been through some injuries over the course of the last few years, so that's been hard to watch from a distance. ... But you talk about a player who can play more than one position. You talk about a player who can help create a certain toughness or bring a certain toughness with him, nastiness to a defense, to a team. He's all about the right stuff as a player and a person."
McDermott was his defensive coordinator in 2015 and 2016, while Beane was an assistant general manager in Carolina. Thompson recorded a career-high 135 tackles in 2022, his fourth consecutive season with 100-plus tackles.
Thompson is one of eight linebackers currently on the Bills roster, joining Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams, Joe Andreessen, Edefuan Olofoshio, Keonta Jenkins, Baylon Spector and Matt Milano.
