In a move that surprises absolutely no one but was still a necessity, NFL sources confirmed that the Panthers will exercise their fifth-year team option to retain linebacker Shaq Thompson through the 2019 season; for players selected outside the top ten in the first round, the fifth-year salary is determined by taking the average of the third through 25th at their respective positions – in 2018, the fifth-year value for linebackers was $8.7m. While the team has until May 3 to make it official and rumors have been swirling since March, multiple sources have now confirmed that Thompson will be wearing the black and blue through the 2019 season.
The fifth-year option allows the team another season to evaluate the 25th overall pick of the 2015 draft, as Thompson is expected to take an even larger role in the defense with Thomas Davis suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season and mulling making next season his last – Thompson has racked up 159 tackles and three sacks over 36 starts in his first three seasons in the league. The Washington product has played primarily in the “buffalo nickel” role as he uses his agility and coverage skills to take away matchup issues in the slot or on tight ends; Thompson said during the 2017 training camp that he had lost weight specifically to improve his speed and abilities in coverage.
With Thompson now locked up through 2019, the Panthers will face multiple other decisions in next year’s offseason, besides Devin Funchess, Greg Olsen and Wes Horton all slated to hit free agency, captains Davis and Ryan Kalil have already announced 2018 will be their final campaign; Julius Peppers, another captain, will be entering his 17th season and 38th year next season as he transitions into a part-time role at defensive end. While the Panthers have now secured the 2019 replacement for Davis, the other spots are still very much in doubt as the team heads into the 2018 Draft.
