One of the biggest needs for the Detroit Lions is to add another linebacker in free agency. The Lions entered the season with a strong stable including Alex Anzalone, Malcolm Rodriguez, and Jack Campbell but injuries to Anzalone and Rodriguez made things more difficult as they tried to achieve their ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl.
Anzalone returned late in the season with a broken forearm but Rodriguez’s torn ACL suffered last Thanksgiving makes his availability for the start of next season unclear. While fans have been more fixated on who will play opposite of Aidan Hutchinson, linebacker may be an area Detroit wants to address with a new free agent target officially hitting the market.
Panthers Release Makes Shaq Thompson New Free Agent Target for the Lions
The Carolina Panthers announced on Monday that they have decided to part ways with linebacker Shaq Thompson. The 30-year-old has spent his entire career with Carolina after he was a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and has racked up 100 tackles four times during his career, hitting the century mark in each season from 2019 to 2022.
https://twitter.com/Panthers/status/1894022653276549155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
But while Thompson was one of the most effective linebackers for Carolina, the past two seasons have been marred by injury. He was limited to two games after breaking his ankle early in the 2023 season and his 2024 season ended prematurely when he tore his Achilles tendon in a Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The injury history and the fact he’ll turn 31 before the start of next season are red flags for any team interested in pursuing him. But the Lions could use a player like Thompson because they’re only looking for depth at the position.
If Thompson can’t find a starting job on the open market, landing in Detroit would be a solid door prize. He could provide leadership to the locker room as someone who played in a Super Bowl during his rookie season in 2015 and could at least buy time until Rodriguez recovers from injury.
Even if he wasn’t the player he once was, the Lions could use him as a depth piece after 16 players wound up on injured reserve last season.
If the Lions were counting on a starter, they’d be better suited to look to the draft. But with a ton of experience, Thompson could be a player that makes plenty of sense for Detroit.
