The Houston Texans will take the next few months to make some changes to their rosters. They've been eliminated in the divisional round in each of the last two years so something has to get turned around.
The Texans have a great foundation of players but now it's about rounding out the edges. On Monday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Carolina Panthers are letting linebacker Shaq Thompson hit the open market and won't re-sign him.
Thompson is a player that could be a good depth option for the Texans in 2025.
Panthers recently informed veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson that he will be allowed to become a free agent and the team does not plan to re-sign him. pic.twitter.com/LD1clAXAJT
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 24, 2025
Shaq Thompson Could Be a Target for the Texans
The Texans have Neville Hewitt and Del'Shawn Phillips hitting free agency, so Houston will need depth at the position. Thompson may emerge as a candidate for that role.
The last two seasons have been rough for Thompson, as he broke his ankle in 2023 and tore his Achilles in 2024. Both injuries ended his season and he's looking to have a bounce-back campaign in 2025.
The Washington product was a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and spent the past 10 seasons with the Panthers. In his career, Thompson compiled 752 total tackles, 54 TFLs, 32 QB hits, 26 pass breakups, and 12 sacks.
Although he may not be the same player that he was in his prime, Thompson could give this team a stable presence as a backup. He also had 112 career starts under his belt so he could step in to start if someone goes down.
One of the best parts of Thompson's game is his ability to be an effective defender in pass coverage. He was once a safety that got converted to linebacker.
Henry To'oto'o, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Christian Harris are all signed through 2025, but injuries are part of the game. It's better to be prepared before anything happens, and adding a player like Thompson would help Houston stay ahead of the curve.