Panthers' 21 unrestricted free agents: Will Shaq Thompson, others return?
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David Newton
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As inside linebacker Shaq Thompson spoke to media for the last time before players broke for the offseason, you could see a blown-up photograph of former Carolina Panthers great Thomas Davis Sr. behind him and the team training room to his right.
The symbolism spoke volumes about where the career of the 10-year veteran is.
Thompson is one of Carolina’s 21 players set to become unrestricted free agents. Few, if any, provide management with a more complex decision.
Like Davis, the team’s all-time leading tackler, Thompson wants to finish his career with Carolina. However, Davis wasn’t re-signed after the 2018 season because the Panthers wanted to get a look at younger players, specifically Thompson, who now has 2024 third-round pick Trevin Wallace looking over his shoulder.
Injuries have played a big role in Thompson’s career, as they have with Davis. Thompson has played six games in the past two seasons, which were ended by a Week 2 right ankle injury in 2023 and a right Achilles tendon injury four games into this past season. Davis was the NFL’s first player to successfully return from three right ACL surgeries.
Like Davis, age is a factor for Thompson. He’ll be 31 in April. Davis was 35 in 2019.
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“It would be a blessing to finish my career off here,” Thompson said earlier this month. “But it’s up to them, how they view me or see me, if I’m a part of the future or not.”
Many of Carolina’s other free agents would like to be a part of the future. Other than long-snapper JJ Jansen, none are as ingrained in Carolina’s history at Thompson.
He was a rookie first-round pick (No. 25 overall) in 2015 when Carolina had an NFL-best 15-1 record and reached Super Bowl 50, losing 24-10 to the Denver Broncos.
He thought team success was a given then, but it’s been anything but. Carolina’s only winning season since was in 2017 when it went 11-5. Now there have been seven straight losing seasons, including 5-12 in 2024.
But Thompson is hopeful a strong finish under first-year NFL head coach Dave Canales is the start of the turnaround, and he wants to be a part of it.
“Canales really has something good going on,” Thompson said. “Guys were just buying in the second half [of the season]. We know we were better than what we were in the first [half]. We kind of just figured it out.”
Figuring out whether Thompson should be a part of the immediate future is a major decision for general manager Dan Morgan, who must rebuild a defense that finished last in the NFL.
A healthy Thompson and Derrick Brown, the Pro Bowl defensive lineman who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener, could be the place to start. Brown is 26 and under contract, having signed a four-year, $96 million extension in April, so the commitment to him is there.
Thompson topped 100 tackles from 2019 to 2022 when healthy, including a team-best 135 in 2022. Chances are Thompson would take a team-friendly deal. He took a pay cut before last season that reduced his base salary from $3.1 million to $1.7 million and freed up $3 million in cap space, and he restructured his deal in 2022 to clear up $5 million in space.
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Brown, for one, would like to see Thompson back.
“We’ve got a lot of pieces now, but obviously bringing in guys that can help and getting guys healthy will help,” he said.
Thompson recently showed a video of himself jogging on a treadmill. He hopes to be ready to return to the field by July at the latest, possibly June.
Whether he’ll be on the field with the Panthers or another team is the question.
“I really don’t know the answer,” Thompson said. “My biggest thing right now is to focus on getting healthy. The chips will fall where they fall.”
As for the other 20 Panthers who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents, here is the likelihood each will be re-signed:
QB Andy Dalton: Likely. He’s been instrumental in Bryce Young’s growth. Their relationship is strong, and he’s still capable of winning games.
C Austin Corbett: Unlikely. He wants to go to a team where he’s the unquestioned starter, and Carolina has a younger, cheaper option in Cade Mays.
OL Brady Christensen: Unlikely. He was invaluable as the sixth man but has proved he can be a starter, so he’ll get more money elsewhere.
TE Tommy Tremble: Likely. Second-year player Ja’Tavion Sanders is the future, but Tremble is a proven contributor.
TE Ian Thomas: Unlikely. Being the team’s best blocking tight end won’t be enough to keep his job.
TE Feleipe Franks: Maybe. He should be an affordable option.
WR David Moore: Likely. A low-cost veteran who’s been with Canales in Seattle, Tampa Bay and Carolina.
RB Mike Boone: Unlikely. He wasn’t the go-to back when Chuba Hubbard’s season ended and the team needs to upgrade the depth.
DE DeShawn Williams: Unlikely. He had only 16 tackles and half a sack for a defense that ranked last in the NFL.
OLB Cam Gill: Unlikely. He could be kept for depth, but this defense will get an overhaul, particularly at OLB.
CB Michael Jackson: Likely. Carolina wants to upgrade opposite Jaycee Horn, but Jackson played well enough to get another deal.
CB Caleb Farley: Maybe. The former first-rounder showed some promise and wants to remain close to home, so he could offer depth at an affordable contract.
S Xavier Woods: Unlikely. His unnecessary roughness penalties were piling up, so don’t be surprised by an upgrade here.
S Jordan Fuller: Maybe. But the Panthers have a younger player in Demani Richardson they want to get a look at.
S Nick Scott: Maybe. He knows the system but could be a casualty in the Panthers’ defensive upgrades.
S Sam Franklin Jr.: Likely. He is a key special teams member.
S Lonnie Johnson Jr.: Unlikely. Another player who could move on as part of the defensive upgrades.
P Johnny Hekker: Maybe. He is a proven veteran but ranked 29th in yards per punt (45.7) and 17th in net yards per punt (41.5), so much will depend on price.
K Eddy Pineiro: Unlikely. Carolina didn’t pay him what he wanted last year, and he ranked 22nd in field goal percentage (84.6%).
FS JJ Jansen: Likely. At 39, he’s still one of the best in the business.
