Panthers Give LB Shaq Thompson Fat Extension
The Carolina Panthers drafted Shaq Thompson in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, and he's featured regularly as a starter in their defense ever since.
The linebacker has apparently shown enough for the team to be comfortable investing heavily in his services, and according to Adam Schefter the team inked him to a four-year extension on Saturday.
Panthers are giving LB Shaq Thompson a four-year, $54.2 extension with a max value of $57 million that includes $28 million guaranteed and a $16 million signing bonus, Wasserman’s @DHendrickson41 tells ESPN. Vaults him into elite ILB pay territory.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 7, 2019
Thompson will be making $54.2 million over the next four seasons, with $28 million in guarantees as well as a $16 million signing bonus.
This extension comes during a 2019 season in which Thompson has played nearly ever snap for the Panthers defense. That group is in the bottom half of the league in terms of yards per game, but clearly Thompson has done enough to get his money.
The 25-year-old has logged three sacks and a career-high 93 tackles thus far into the season.
Marty Hurney on Shaq Thompson:
— Ashley Stroehlein (@ashstro) December 7, 2019
“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.”@wcnc | @ShaqThompson_7
Panthers fans will be hoping a new contract somehow improves the run defense. The Panthers rank near the bottom of the league, allowing 137.5 rushing yards per game.
There was no doubt the team would try to retain Thompson. He was a homegrown player and has done nothing to warrant being let go. Still, the Panthers defense remains a conundrum, as despite leading the league with 46 sacks, they struggle in various other facets of the game.
Thompson can be a defensive leader for years to come in Carolina. Now he has to prove he is worth it.