Panthers confirm season-ending injury for LB Shaq Thompson following loss to Bengals

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The Carolina Panthers are dealing with another season-ending injury on defense.

Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson was carted off the sideline during the second half of Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. On Monday, the team confirmed that Thompson tore his Achilles tendon during the Panthers’ fourth game of the season.

Thompson is expected to undergo surgery on the injury “as soon as possible,” according to head coach Dave Canales.

“Just sick for Shaq,” Canales said. “A guy that really just cares so much and plays with so much passion. A vocal leader — somebody who has had my back through this process as I get my feet underneath me as a first-time head coach.”

Thompson, 30, was the only active permanent captain on the field during the Week 4 matchup. Defensive end Derrick Brown has been on injured reserve since Week 2 due to a season-ending knee injury. Special teams ace Sam Franklin has been on injured reserve since the cut-down deadline in August due to a broken foot. Offensive captain and QB Bryce Young was benched following Week 2 in favor of veteran Andy Dalton.

With Thompson missing the remainder of the season, this is the second consecutive campaign to see Thompson’s year end in September at Bank of America Stadium. He sustained a broken fibula in last year’s home-opener in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints.

Thompson’s injury location is also notable because he has been the locker room’s loudest critic of the team’s home turf, which was implemented in 2021. Thompson and others have spoken about the safety impact of turf versus grass, with the latter being the nearly universal preference for NFL players.

Thompson sustained his injury against Cincinnati — which was initially categorized as a heel ailment — while dropping into coverage against the Bengals, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. The injury didn’t occur on contact, as Thompson was nowhere near his teammates or opponents in coverage. He limped off the field and spent several minutes in the team’s medical tent on the sideline before being driven off the sideline on the back of a cart.

Fellow starting linebacker Josey Jewell (groin/hamstring) left the field on the same drive due to injury. Both veterans were replaced by rookie Trevin Wallace — the team’s third-round draft choice — and Claudin Cherelus — a special teams ace — for the rest of the game.

According to Canales, Wallace and Cherelus will replace Thompson and Jewell for the foreseeable future. Wallace, in particular, is destined for a bigger role.

“Big, fast, physical player,” Canales said about Wallace. “You could just tell he loves to play football. Even this year, as he’s been on special teams, and the roles that we’ve given him on the defensive side, just flying around making plays. A great opportunity for him to get in there, to communicate, to get the calls and just get his feet on the ground and play football. So, I’m really excited for him.”

Thompson is in the final year of his contract with the Panthers. He previously reworked his deal and took a pay cut prior to the 2023 season.

Quick hits

▪ According to Canales, Jewell will miss at least this week with his pair of soft-tissue injuries.

▪ Canales said the team won’t open up the 21-day practice windows for running back Jonathon Brooks (knee/NFI) and outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum (quad/PUP) this week. However, Canales said he expects to see cornerback Dane Jackson (hamstring/IR), tight end Ian Thomas (calf/IR) and defensive end Jaden Crumedy (ankle/IR) in practice in Week 5.

▪ The Panthers made a trio of practice squad moves on Monday. The team re-signed wide receiver/returner Deven Thompkins and tight end Stephen Sullivan to the practice squad and released wide receiver Sam Pinckney from the practice roster. Thompkins and Sullivan were both injured during training camp. They both received injury settlements which had timelines that expired on Sunday, enabling them to rejoin the team. Pinckney was signed last week to make up for the loss of Adam Thielen in practice.

▪ The following rookies made their NFL debuts on Sunday against the Bengals: C Andrew Raym, CB Shemar Bartholomew, WR Jalen Coker and DB Demani Richardson. All four players were undrafted in April, and Raym, Coker and Richardson spent the entire offseason — including training camp and the preseason — with Carolina.

▪ Pass rusher Thomas Incoom played 11 snaps on defense, while defensive end DeShawn Williams played 26 snaps on defense. Both were elevated from the practice squad on Saturday. Both are likely to play in the coming weeks with the Panthers’ injury woes.