The 2024 NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and it didn’t go without a few moves from the Carolina Panthers.
Last week, the team shipped off wideout Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens in a trade involving a late-round pick swap for the 2025 draft. And yesterday, in a much more favorable return, they sent fellow receiver Jonathan Mingo over to the Dallas Cowboys.
So now that those departures are official, we could start looking ahead towards free agency for quite a few more.
Here are Panthers whose contracts are set to expire following the season:
Shaq Thompson’s 10th NFL season officially ended on Saturday.
Shaq Thompson is officially done in 2024.
The Carolina Panthers announced on Saturday that they have placed the veteran linebacker on injured reserve, effectively ending his 10th NFL season. Thompson tore his Achilles tendon in the Week 4 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday.
Head coach Dave Canales spoke about the loss of Thompson to start the week.
“I’m just sick for Shaq,” Canales told reporters on Monday. “A guy that really just cares so much and plays with so much passion. A vocal leader. Somebody’s who had my back through this process as I get my feet underneath me as a first-time head coach.
“And to have the support of veteran guys like this, that stand for the right things, people that I can talk to, people that I can ask to lead a charge for this thing or that thing that we’re looking to get more of. So a guy that stood for all those things—Panthers football all the way through and through.”
Thompson, the team’s first-round pick from 2015, is currently the second-longest tenured Panther.
He is set to become a free agent at the conclusion of the season.
The Panthers have ruled out three players ahead of Sunday’s visit to Chicago.
As expected, the Carolina Panthers have ruled out starting middle linebackers Shaq Thompson and Josey Jewell from their Week 5 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Thompson will miss the remainder of the campaign with a torn Achilles tendon while Jewell has been sidelined with hamstring and groin injuries.
2024 third-round pick and rookie ‘backer Trevin Wallace is in line to get his first career start in the middle of Carolina’s defense. Veterans Claudin Cherelus and Chandler Wooten, who was promoted to the active roster on Tuesday, should also help fill in for Thompson and Jewell.
In addition, head coach Dave Canales told reporters following today’s practice that all players who have been listed as questionable are likely to play.
The Panthers announced a pair of signings on Tuesday.
The battered Carolina Panthers defense is getting some backup.
On Tuesday, the team officially announced a pair of signings. One of the moves will see linebacker Chandler Wooten go from the practice squad to the active roster in light of the injuries to starters Shaq Thompson and Josey Jewell.
Carolina’s defense has already been without Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown, who saw his 2024 cut short after tearing his meniscus in the season-opening defeat to the New Orleans Saints. Fellow defensive lineman Shy Tuttle and safety Jordan Fuller, two other Week 1 starters, have been sidelined recently as well.
Wooten played in 17 games for the Panthers between the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Along with Wooten, the Panthers also signed cornerback Caleb Farley—who joins the team’s practice squad. Farley, a former Tennessee Titan, was selected with the 22nd overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft.
Did the Panthers bottom out in the power rankings following their Week 4 loss to the Bengals?
Unfortunately for the Carolina Panthers, a winning streak was simply not meant to be. After a triumphant victory against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3, the team fell short of knocking off the Cincinnati Bengals in a 34-24 loss this past Sunday.
So, how far did they fall across the power rankings?
Let’s take a look at where the Panthers stand heading into Week 5 . . .
Take: “They head to Chicago this week. Better lock the hotel safes and stadium lockers given the Bears will try to steal a win after already swiping WR DJ Moore and the No. 1 pick of this year’s draft.”
Take: “Once again, benching Bryce Young for Andy Dalton looked like the right decision, as Dalton kept the chains moving all game against the Bengals and played well, even with a tipped-pass interception. He has limited the sacks (zero on Sunday) and helped stretch the field, two things Young was unable to do, which has given receivers such as Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette a chance to showcase their skills to a greater degree. Johnson dropped a would-be TD on the opening drive, but he’s come alive with Dalton under center. The run game also showed more juice, although a leaky Bengals defense was partly responsible for that. Still, the entire operation looks better, even as the Panthers remain in the infancy stages of their rebuild.”
Take (on team’s biggest issue on defense): “Injuries could be the answer here, because LB Shaq Thompson is now out for the rest of the season with a torn Achilles, and the Panthers were already down three starters — DE Derrick Brown (knee), DT Shy Tuttle (foot) and S Jordan Fuller (hamstring). But pressure was a concern heading into the season, and it was magnified Sunday against the Bengals. QB Joe Burrow was pressured on just four of 32 dropbacks, the third-lowest he has faced in his career. Carolina has no one outside of LB Jadeveon Clowney who can consistently get to the QB.”
Take: “The Andy Dalton bump came to a halt because the defense had issues against the Bengals. But the offense is better with Dalton than when Young was in the lineup.”
Take: “The Panthers’ offense still looked viable in Andy Dalton’s second start, despite Sunday’s loss to the Bengals. Carolina won’t win many games but Sunday showed it’ll remain competitive.”
With injuries to both of their starting middle linebackers, the Panthers signed back a familiar face on Tuesday.
Since they’re suddenly quite little in the middle, the Carolina Panthers brought back a familiar face at linebacker on Tuesday.
As announced this afternoon, the team has signed rookie Jackson Mitchell to their practice squad. Mitchell, who initially joined the Panthers as an undrafted free agent this past spring, spent the offseason as a member of the roster.
Mitchell’s return follows the news of this past Sunday’s injuries to starting middle linebackers Shaq Thompson and Josey Jewell. Thompson tore his Achilles tendon in the Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and will be out for the remainder of the season while Jewell is expected to miss some time with hamstring and groin issues.
Head coach Dave Canales talked about the long-term loss of Thompson yesterday.
“I’m just sick for Shaq,” Canales told reporters. “A guy that really just cares so much and plays with so much passion. A vocal leader. Somebody’s who had my back through this process as I get my feet underneath me as a first-time head coach.”
To make room for Mitchell on the practice squad, the Panthers released cornerback Azizi Hearn.
Panthers HC Dave Canales said he’s expecting a trio of players to return to practice this week.
Monday was a rather sobering day for the Carolina Panthers, who will be forced to deal with a couple of more difficult injuries.
First, the team learned that they’ll have to finish the 2024 campaign without captain and longtime linebacker Shaq Thompson—who tore his Achilles tendon in yesterday’s 34-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. They also found out about a setback to their other starting inside ‘backer, as Josey Jewell could be down for a couple of weeks due to hamstring and groin issues.
But some much-needed reinforcements could soon be on the way
After filling the media in on Thompson and Jewell this afternoon, head coach Dave Canales was asked about this week’s availability of the players who began the season on injured reserve.
“Yeah, expecting Dane [Jackson], Jaden [Crumedy], Ian Thomas to get out there, be back on the practice field,” Canales replied. “Get a new set of eyes on these guys. We talk about competition all the time, and I love what it brings to our group—just being able to get out there, play fast, guys who are excited to get back to football.
“But again—they gotta be out there, they gotta handle the load. Still, with all that timing, they haven’t been on the field with us running our plays and all that. So this is a great opportunity for those guys to get rolling and for us to get a look at them.”
With four weeks now in the books, players who began the campaign on injured reserve are eligible to return to practice. Once they are officially back on the practice field, the Panthers will have 21 days to return them to the active roster.
If they are not added to the active roster within that 21-day window, they are no longer eligible to play for the remainder of the season.
Along with Jackson, Crumedy, Thomas, other notable Panthers who are on the shelf include rookie running back and second-round pick Jonathon Brooks as well as outside linebackers D.J. Wonnum and Amaré Barno.
In addition to losing Shaq Thompson for the rest of 2024, the Panthers are also expecting to be without Josey Jewell for at least one week.
The middle of the Carolina Panthers defense will be missing more than just its captain this week.
After confirming the news of Shaq Thompson’s season-ending Achilles tear, head coach Dave Canales provided a not-so-encouraging update on his other starting (and injured) inside linebacker—Josey Jewell.
“Josey had a hamstring and a groin pop up,” Canales stated on Monday. “So two things that he’s gonna be dealing with here for a couple of weeks. So we do not expect Josey to be up this week.”
Jewell made an early exit from yesterday’s 34-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The seventh-year veteran recorded 30 tackles and a fumble recovery over his first four games with the Panthers in 2024.
Canales was then asked about Jewell’s replacement for the upcoming matchup with the Chicago Bears.
“Yeah, Claudin Cherelus is gonna have a great opportunity to play some football for us,” he replied. “A guy that really took strides in camp, and a guy that we’re definitely looking forward to seeing out there to play football. For he and Trevin [Wallace] to start communicating and be able to work with the whole group.”
Cherelus played nine defensive snaps in the Week 4 defeat. He recorded two tackles.
Year No. 10 is officially over for Panthers LB Shaq Thompson.
Shaq Thompson’s 10th NFL campaign is officially over.
Multiple reports from early Monday afternoon indicated that the veteran inside linebacker sustained a tear of his Achilles tendon in yesterday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Carolina Panthers then confirmed the unfortunate development on Thompson, who will now miss the remainder of the 2024 season.
Head coach Dave Canales was asked what the loss of Thompson means for his team moving forward.
“I’m just sick for Shaq,” Canales replied during his presser on Monday. “A guy that really just cares so much and plays with so much passion. A vocal leader. Somebody’s who had my back through this process as I get my feet underneath me as a first-time head coach.
“And to have the support of veteran guys like this, that stand for the right things, people that I can talk to, people that I can ask to lead a charge for this thing or that thing that we’re looking to get more of. So a guy that stood for all those things—Panthers football all the way through and through.”
Thompson has played each of his 10 pro seasons for the Panthers, who selected him with the 25th overall pick of the 2015 NFL draft. He’s since gone on to appear in 123 games for Carolina and has recorded the fourth-most tackles in franchise history.
Canales continued.
“And then, of course, he’s just a fantastic communicator and player,” he added of Thompson. “And so, again, just another blow for us. But another great opportunity for Trevin [Wallace], for guys to step up and to show what they have and how they can help Panthers football.”
The 30-year-old Thompson is slated to become a free agent at season’s end.
Panthers LB Shaq Thompson has had his season cut short by a devastating injury once again. What does this latest development mean moving forward?
A year of growing pains just got a lot more painful for the Carolina Panthers.
As first reported by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport on Monday, inside linebacker Shaq Thompson sustained a tear of his Achilles tendon in yesterday’s 34-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The 30-year-old defender will now miss the remainder of the 2024 campaign, making this the second straight season in which his efforts have been cut short by injury.
So, what does this mean for the Panthers and for Thompson moving forward?
Here are three takeaways from the loss of yet another team leader:
Capt’d out
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
In addition to being an unquestioned leader, Thompson was voted as one of four team captains for the 2024 season. The other three? Quarterback Bryce Young, defensive lineman Derrick Brown and safety/special teams ace Sam Franklin Jr.
But now that Thompson is down, Carolina probably won’t have any of their captains on the field for the foreseeable future. Young has been benched in favor of veteran Andy Dalton, Brown sustained a season-ending injury of his own and Franklin Jr. is still recovering from the broken foot he picked up during training camp.
The Panthers may not be able to hand out any more of those ‘C’ patches, but they will need some vets to step up in the vacated leadership roles on the field—especially for the sake of their struggling defense.
Trev-in
Grant Halverson/Getty Images
Speaking of stepping up, rookie linebacker Trevin Wallace seems to be the favorite to replace Thompson in the starting lineup.
The third-round pick turned quite a few heads this offseason, displaying his eye-opening athleticism during spring and summer workouts. While Thompson has been rock-solid, even in 2024, he does not have the big-play ability that’s brewing up in the promising 21-year-old.
Wallace was drafted, presumably, as the succession plan to Thompson. That succession plan, however, is set to begin a bit earlier than expected and could see the youngster bring a fresh and much-needed spark in the takeaway department.
Is this it?
Matt Kelley/Getty Images
We may have seen the final snap for Shaq, at least in Carolina.
Thompson is slated to become a free agent at season’s end, putting his future with a changing organization in question. The Panthers certainly value Thompson’s presence and play, but an 11th year in black and blue feels rather unlikely given the team’s direction.
If this is indeed it for Thompson, who has already vowed to return to the field, the Achilles tear is an unfortunate end to what’s been an admirable and well-respected run in Charlotte for the 2015 first-round pick.
