CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson is expected to miss the rest of the season due to a broken right leg, head coach Frank Reich said.
Thompson had surgery on Tuesday to fix a fractured fibula he sustained early in Carolina’s 20-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Monday night.
Reich said it’s hard to put into words how much Thompson brings to the team, calling him a team player and “a warrior, a guy who knows how to practice.”
Thompson is considered the team's emotional leader on defense, registering four 100-tackle seasons in nine years with the Panthers.
Reich did not say who will replace Thompson in the starting lineup for Sunday's game in Seattle.
It's crushing news for the Panthers defense, which lost starting cornerback Jaycee Horn to a hamstring injury last week. Horn is expected to miss at least six weeks.
“These injuries hurt, but the train has got to keep going,” Reich said. “You can love your brother and feel bad for your brother, but at the same time understand we got to have the next man up mentality.”
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