The Panthers are continuing to manufacture 2022 cap space. The team announced today that they have restructured the contract of linebacker Shaq Thompson. 

[Related: Panthers Restructure Taylor Moton’s Contract]

Thompson, 27, was set to count for $18.26MM against the cap for next season before the move. Instead, as ESPN’s David Newton notes, the team has created $5M in space (Twitter link). With even more financial flexibility, Carolina now has plenty of room to be aggressive in free agency.

A 2015 first round pick, Thompson has spent his entire seven-year career with the Panthers. He ranked second on the team in tackles last year with 104, adding two sacks and five pass deflections. In total, he has racked up 574 stops, 11.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.

Thompson is under contract for another two seasons, where he will no doubt continue to be an anchor on the team’s defense. Many of the offseason questions for the team revolve around the secondary, where corners Donte Jackson and Stephon Gilmore are both pending unrestricted free agents. Moves such as this one – along with the re-working of Moton’s deal – give the team more of a chance to keep both. Alternatively, it could mean room for one, along with a significant addition at another position.

Shaq Thompson is going to miss some time. The Panthers linebacker is set to sit out the next few games while he recovers from a foot injury, reports Joe Person of The Athletic (via Twitter). Fortunately, it sounds like Thompson might avoid a stint on the IR. According to Person, Thompson is considered more week-to-week (vs. a definitive three-week-plus absence).

Thompson suffered the injury during yesterday’s loss to the Cowboys. The linebacker exited the game, but he did manage to return and finish the contest.

The former first-round pick has spent his entire career with the Panthers, including 2019 and 2020 campaigns where he combined for 223 tackles. He was off to a hot start in 2021, collecting a team-leading 25 tackles to go along with one sack and one interception.

The Panthers have already started preparing for the 27-year-old’s absence. The team promoted Kamal Martin from the practice squad earlier today. The 23-year-old started six of his 10 games for Green Bay in 2020, collecting 24 tackles and one sack.

Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson is scheduled to reach free agency after the 2019 season. But, if he has his way, he’ll stay in Carolina for years to come. 

“Yeah, this is a place I’ve been for five years,” Thompson said (via Brendan Marks of The Observer). “I don’t want to know any other place.”

Thompson, 25, set new statistical career-highs this year with 3.5 sacks and 79 total tackles. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury ended his season in December, preventing him from turning in the first full 16-game slate of his career.

So far, Thompson has appeared in 14 games in each of his four NFL seasons, with 2018 marking his best showing yet. At the time of his injury, he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 28 ranked linebacker in the NFL.

It’s not clear if an extension is on the horizon for Thompson, though coach Ron Rivera has expressed a desire to keep him in the fold.

“Those are young guys that you do most certainly want to have around because they are going to impact your team for years to come,” Rivera said of Thompson and cornerback James Bradberry. “They’re both, I think, at the point where they’re ready to take the next step, which is very important in our development as a football team.”

This year, with Thomas Davis out of the picture, Thompson has an opportunity to cement his value.

The Panthers intend to exercise their 2019 fifth-year option for LB Shaq Thompson, reports Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. While Carolina hasn’t officially picked up Thompson’s option, it will do so before the May 3 deadline.

While the price tag for Thompson’s fifth-year option hasn’t yet been made public, it will be the average of the third through 25th salaries at linebacker. In 2018, that value will be $8.718MM, so Thompson is likely looking a salary north of $9MM for 2019. While Thomas Davis plans to retire following the upcoming campaign, the Panthers will still have Luke Kuechly under contract, so they’ll be heavily invested at linebacker.

Thompson, 23, has seen his playtime increase in each of his three NFL seasons. Last year, Thompson saw action on 64% of Carolina’s defensive snaps, racking up 37 tackles, two sacks, one pass defensed, and one forced fumble during that time. While he missed two games with a foot injury, Thompson graded as the league’s No. 30 linebacker among 87 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.