The Buffalo Bills filled out their roster heading into mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, signing LB Shaq Thompson to a one-year deal.
This signing is just the latest in a steady connection between the Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers over the years. Thompson comes to Buffalo to be reunited with his former defensive coordinator in McDermott. He also looks to extend his career after 10 solid years in Carolina as a former first-round selection.
Thompson brings a ton of experience both as a veteran player and within the defense, making this a natural fit. However, he has dealt with his share of injuries, missing 28 games over the last two seasons. He could find a career resurgence in Buffalo as he looks to get back on track.
Read below for Shaq Thompson’s publicly reported injury history and analysis.
Injury History
2015 Carolina Panthers
Hamstring strain, rookie minicamp.
Shortly after getting drafted, Thompson suffered a hamstring strain during rookie minicamp during the afternoon session, forcing him to miss some time during OTAs.
Left Knee MCL sprain, Week 6, missed 2 games.
Thompson suffered a left knee MCL sprain in the final minutes of a win over the Seattle Seahawks. His knee collided with Tyler Lockett’s helmet during a tackle which forced Thompson from the game.
2016 Panthers
Left Knee injury, Week 8, missed 2 games.
Thompson once again injured his left knee in a win over the Arizona Cardinals. He missed the next two games before returning to practice wearing a brace.
2017 Panthers
Plantar fasciitis, Week 12, missed 2 games.
Thompson began dealing with plantar fasciitis following a Week 12 win over the New York Jets. He was questionable heading into the game and played a normal snap count, but was downgraded the following two weeks, missing those games. This was an issue that dated back to college.
2018 Panthers
Shoulder injury, missed 2 games, placed on IR.
He battled a shoulder injury throughout much of the season starting 11 games until the Panthers were out of playoff contention. He was then placed on injured reserve for the last two games of the season.
2019 Panthers
Ankle injury, Week 5, missed 0 games.
Despite being listed as questionable heading into Week 6, Thompson played in every defensive snap.
Ankle/foot injury, Week 15, missed 2 games.
Thompson missed the final two games of the season due to an ankle/foot injury, depending on the source. The issues were severe enough to force him out in the midst of another losing season.
While Thompson was sidelined due to his ankle/foot issues, he underwent shoulder surgery described as a “clean up”, allowing him to get a head start on rehab.
2020 Panthers
COVID, Week 14, missed 0 games.
He was placed on the COVID/Reserve list for 3 days before clearing protocol and not missing any games.
2021 Panthers
Right foot plantar fasciitis, Week 4, missed 3 games.
Thompson missed three games following the Week 4 loss to the Dallas Cowboys after straining his plantar fascia in his right foot. He jokingly attributed his issues to the Cowboys turf field but he also listed having the wrong insoles as a contributing factor.
2022 Panthers
Offseason knee procedure, started season on PUP, missed three weeks of preseason.
Thompson underwent an offseason knee procedure prior to training camp which prevented him from passing a physical and being placed on PUP. He spent roughly three weeks on PUP before being activated August 20.
2023 Panthers
Right fibular fracture, Week 2, missed 15 games.
Thompsons season ended early when the Saints Trevor Penning fell into his right ankle at the end of a routine play, fracturing his fibula. He underwent surgery shortly after and despite saying he could return to the field in December, he ultimately did not, missing the entire season.
Here is a clip of the injury.
2024 Panthers
Hamstring strain, preseason, missed two weeks.
Thompson missed the first two weeks of training camp after dealing with a hamstring strain likely suffered shortly after camp started.
Left Achilles tear, Week 4, missed 13 games.
Thompsons season once again ended early, this time due to a left Achilles tear. This occurred when he was dropping back and then began to change direction and accelerate forward. He knew immediately he injured the area and attempted to finish the play by hopping a bit before sitting down on the turf.
Here is the best view of the Achilles tear. Watch the middle of the field where Thompson drops back, steps forward and then begins hopping. The injury occured on September 29 and he underwent surgery on October 2nd.
Buffalo Bills Injury Analysis
Thompson has suffered his fair share of injuries over his 10-year career which is not surprising, but several of the injuries are more concerning than others.
Several of the injuries such as his ankle, knee, and shoulder injuries are relatively minor when looking at the big picture. Despite each injury costing him missed time and even surgical procedures, this is a result of playing an incredibly physical game. Both procedures were likely clean outs to shave down any offending tissue which could cause inflammation and further deterioration of the joint. He was able to return to play after each instance without any further issues on the injury report.
His hamstring issues are notable but they have been pretty spaced out during his career. Both occurred early on in the season which means that this was more of an acclimation issue than anything else which we often see during training camp. It would not surprise me to see him limited during camp but noteworthy.
Another noteworthy but overall minor injury is his right fibula fracture suffered back in 2023. This was unfortunate in that he had someone fall on the ankle, causing the fracture. He did rehab and planned to try and return in December, but with the Panthers struggling to a 2-15 season, there wasn’t any incentive to return. This is also a fairly routine procedure without many complications. To read more about the injury, make sure to read here which discusses when Jamison Crowder suffered his ankle fracture in 2022.
Thompson has also dealt with plantar fasciitis in his right foot and potentially both feet throughout his career, costing him at least five games. He has not had any incidence since 2021 but this can become a chronic pain issue especially with the cleats that football players have to wear and the frequent sprinting they need to do throughout the game. He likely has insoles and a stretching/strengthening routine to keep things in check. If he begins to miss time due to a foot designation, this is likely the reason which will require maintenance.
Achilles Tear
The biggest and most recent issue is his left Achilles tear. This happened at the end of September and despite passing a physical to sign with the Bills, he did not participate in mandatory minicamp with the team citing the surgery and rehab as a reason.
Looking at return to play and performance for a NFL linebacker, on average, it takes 351 days for a linebacker to return to play, second most amount of time only to running backs. Linebackers also have one of the worst return to sport rates at 73.3 percent, third behind running backs and offensive linemen.
Unfortunately, linebackers see the biggest drop off in performance upon returning with an average score of 1.8 difference between matched controls. What this translates into is seven fewer sacks and 28 less tackles compared to matched controls. Career length is also affected with players playing an average of 2.5 years after injury compared to matched controls of 3.7 years. The average age of an Achilles tear in a linebacker is 28.1 which means that with Thompson recently turning 31, he’s pretty close to the average age for an Achilles tear.
Plenty of players return to the field after injuries such as this, it just comes down to who is willing to take on their contract and work through the return to performance. He will be close to a year removed from the surgery by the time Week 1 kicks off and should improve throughout the season, but not quite return to his prior level of performance through 2025.
Final Thoughts
This signing reminds me of the Deion Jones signing last year. A former elite linebacker who has had several injuries including a shoulder injury and has slowly lost a step. Jones did find a home after roster cut downs, spending the season with Tampa Bay. Thompson still has the skillset to play in the NFL, but expect a drop off in performance due to his age and recent injury.
The Bills currently have eight linebackers on the roster with the addition of Thompson. I don’t see him beating out Matt Milano, Terrel Bernard, or Dorian Williams. He will be in competition with Joe Andressen, Edefuan Ulofoshio, Baylon Spector, and Keonta Jenkins.
He could realistically beat out all of those players but Ulofoshio and Andressen both have youth on their side. Spector is a key special teams player but is constantly injured. Jenkins as a UDFA is unknown.
At best, Thompson’s ceiling is a rotational depth linebacker at LB4 and his floor is gameday inactive or practice squad body. He is worthy of still being in an NFL locker room, but his performance will determine his future with the Bills. I consider him a replacement level player due to his injury and expected decline in performance. He won’t have 100+ tackles like he did in 2022, but he knows the defense enough and has the knowledge to get himself into position.
Overall, I do like the signing simply due to the familiarity with Sean McDermott. But I’d temper expectations for his 2024 season and a likely reduced role due to the depth ahead of him. If he can get through 2025, then he could stick around longer and potentially stay several years as his career winds down.
We’ll see what things look like during training camp, but we’re not getting a guy who plays 14+ games and 100+ tackles in 2025. Any production out of him above a replacement level player will be a positive.
I would like to welcome Shaq Thompson to Buffalo and that he remains healthy.
Top Photo Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
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