5 big Panthers observations from Back Together Saturday practice

Shaq Thompson’s injury highlights Carolina Panthers LB depth concerns

Back Together Saturday ended early for Shaq Thompson, who went off the field with some reported tightness that prevented him from taking part in the team drills later on.

The outside linebacker isn’t expected to miss any notable time according to head coach Matt Rhule, which will come as a relief to everyone associated with the Carolina Panthers. Thompson is set to start once again next season and it’s a big campaign for the former first-round pick as he looks to justify a whopping cap hit of more than $18 million in 2022.

"“I don’t know, didn’t seem too serious; he just tightened up.”"

Denzel Perryman came into the lineup on the outside alongside Jermaine Carter, who has been taking the majority of inside linebacker reps during the first few days of training camp.

One thing that this does highlight is the relative lack of depth behind the starting trio. This could cause some complications if someone is out for a prolonged period or in Perryman’s case, isn’t vaccinated and is put on the COVID-19 list at any stage.

Thompson gets Sunday off to recover before the Panthers get back down to business on Monday. The coaching staff is already aware of what the Washington product can do, so they can be more cautious to avoid further complications.