CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ The Panthers continue to take steps forward for the 2020 season and beyond.
The team announced Saturday that it signed linebacker Shaq Thompson to a four-year contract extension. Per a source, the deal is worth $54.2 million with max value of $57M and also includes a $16M signing bonus and $28M guaranteed.
Thompson is now signed with the team through the 2023 season.
"Shaq is our type of person and our type of player," general manager Marty Hurney said in the Panthers' release. "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."
This was a deal that both the Panthers and Thompson wanted to get done. The linebacker was looking to stay in Carolina for the long-term, despite coach Ron Rivera being fired this week.
This is a bittersweet moment for the 25-year-old as his mother, Patty, passed away at 57 years old in October. She died in her sleep shortly after watching the Panthers play on TV from her home in Sacramento.
The Panthers selected Thompson 25th overall in the 2015 draft out of Washington. He is on pace to start every game this season for the first time in his career and already has a career-high 93 tackles, including nine tackles for loss, this year, while playing on his fifth-year option. Thompson has played the third-most snaps of any defensive player (99.2%).
With Carolina switching from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 this year, Thompson has proven that he can play both well and be a reliable linebacker for this defense. In five seasons he has 331 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, 27 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback hits.
This is just the first of possible extensions that could come from the Panthers this season with cornerback James Bradberry especially being a priority, among other defensive players such as Ross Cockrell that Carolina may try to re-sign. Other players, like running back Christian McCaffrey, are also in line for extensions.
