The Carolina Panthers gave Ian Thomas more chances than his performances deserved. Thankfully, he's not their problem anymore.
Instead, fans can revel in the fact that Thomas is already well on his way to fooling another team.
Thomas was let go once his contract expired this offseason. It was an underwhelming stint with the franchise that promised much but delivered very little. Any hopes Carolina had of the former fourth-round pick becoming the heir to Greg Olsen's throne were extinguished long ago. The fact that he ended his time with the team on injured reserve was poetic — and not in a good way.
To the surprise of some, Thomas found a new home quickly. The tight end signed a one-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders in a bid to galvanize his career. Although he's firmly behind superstar option Brock Bowers and possibly even Michael Mayer in the pecking order, the early reports surrounding the Indiana graduate are encouraging.
Ian Thomas' false offseason hope is something Carolina Panthers fans know well
Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly singled out Thomas for special praise following their mandatory minicamp. The experienced play-caller likes what he sees so far. He also hinted there could be a role for the veteran as part of 12 and 13 personnel schemes when the situation dictates.
"I checked, you can play with two tight ends in a game at the same time, and sometimes you can play with three tight ends they told me. Ian Thomas has been outstanding, and he's a guy that's played a lot of snaps in this league, too."Chip Kelly via SI
Sound familiar?
This is the talk that always seemed to surround Thomas at this stage of the offseason. He always performed well during early workouts and training camp. Unfortunately, he rarely brought this through into a competitive environment.
The Panthers have moved on at long last. Fans will argue they should have done this when Thomas's rookie contract expired, but they got there in the end.
Hopes are high that Ja'Tavion Sanders can build on his rookie flashes and become a dominant pass-catching option. Mitchell Evans, a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, could feature right out of the gate. The Panthers also extended Tommy Tremble, but his status is uncertain after undergoing back surgery.
As for Thomas? He's intent on restoring his reputation. And there's nothing like career oblivion to bring about some extra effort and intensity.
Keeping it up is the trickiest problem.