The Carolina Panthers drafted linebacker Shaq Thompson in the first-round (No. 25 overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. During his rookie campaign Carolina enjoyed their best year in franchise history, winning 15 regular season games before advancing to the Super Bowl and coming up short against the Denver Broncos.
Expected to be groomed as the predecessor to Thomas Davis, many expected Thompson to take over once the career Panthers linebacker decided to retire. However, each had alternate plans as Davis recently exited Charlotte during the offseason for an opportunity with the Los Angeles Chargers after not being re-signed by the only team he’d known throughout a 14 year career in the black and blue.