Carolina Panthers Lose Five-Time Captain Shaq Thompson to Season-Ending Injury

Thompson, 30, suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon one year after suffering a broken ankle that ended his 2023 season after two games.

Shaq Thompson (54) of the Carolina Panthers is carted off the field after being injured in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sept. 29, 2024. Matt Kelley/Getty Images

The Carolina Panthers have done lots of losing lately. They’ve lost 18 of their 21 games since the start of last season, lost No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young as a starter because of ineffectiveness, and lost to the previously winless Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4.

But they lost more than just the game to the Bengals, as Carolina also lost its leader and five-time captain, linebacker Shaq Thompson, for the remainder of the season because of a torn Achilles’ tendon.