Shaq Thompson has lined up his next NFL gig. The veteran linebacker signed a one-year deal with the Bills on Tuesday, per a team announcement. 
Thompson was informed by the Panthers in February he would not be re-signed. That decision ended his 10-year run with the franchise and left him in need of joining a new team for the first time in his career. The 31-year-old will now spend the summer looking to carve out a role in Buffalo.
Immediately after learning his time in Carolina was over, Thompson made it clear he had no intention of retiring. Since that point, no clear links had emerged to known suitors until today’s news. It comes as no surprise, however, that the Bills have elected to bring the former first-rounder into the fold.
During the first two years of Thompson’s career (2015-16), he worked under then-Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott. The latter has been Buffalo’s head coach since 2017, so this deal represents a reunion between the two. Thompson will look to return to his previous form by avoiding the injuries he has dealt with over the past two years. Over that span, he has played just six total games.
Thompson produced a stretch of four consecutive seasons with 104 tackles or more prior to his injury-shortened campaigns, and he if can manage to remain healthy he could offer Buffalo a first-team option at the linebacker spot. More realistically, the 112-game starter could provide experienced depth at the second level of the team’s defense. The Bills have Terrel Bernard, who inked a $42MM extension this offseason, in place as their highest-paid linebacker.
Matt Milano and Dorian Williams will also return from last year’s team, and they will be expected to handle key roles in 2025. Nonetheless, Thompson could carve out a spot on the depth chart during training camp. His acclimation to his new team will begin this week during Buffalo’s minicamp.
The Bills entered Tuesday with a league-low $1.69MM in cap space, leaving them short on finances to make free agent additions. Thompson was on track for a pact at or near the veteran minimum from any suitor, though, and that will no doubt be the case with this Buffalo agreement.