In a devastating blow to the Carolina Panthers, star linebacker Shaq Thompson has suffered a season-ending injury for the second consecutive year. Thompson, 30, is believed to have torn his Achilles tendon during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 34-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at Bank of America Stadium. An MRI is scheduled for Monday to confirm the diagnosis.
This marks the second straight year Thompson’s season has been cut short due to injury. Last year, he suffered a broken fibula in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints. Despite these setbacks, Thompson has vowed to continue playing, taking to social media to declare, “Yall think ima retire!! Ahah yeah right! I’ll [be] back!”
Thompson, a 10-year veteran and one of the team’s leaders, was able to walk off the field under his own power on Sunday but was later carted off to the locker room with a towel over his head and his head bowed. He has been a mainstay on the Panthers’ defense, leading the team with 35 tackles this season.
Rookie Trevin Wallace is expected to fill the void left by Thompson’s injury. The Panthers, who fell to 1-3 with Sunday’s loss, are now facing the daunting task of trying to turn their season around without one of their key players.
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