Bills could fix a major roster issue by simply saying yes to an old friend who clearly wants to return to Buffalo
Come on, Brandon Beane, just get it done.
The Buffalo Bills need help at linebacker, and there’s a linebacker on the market who desperately wants to provide his services to the organization. It’s just a matter of whether the organization wants to take a flyer on another one-year deal for the veteran.
It’d be a reunion, as linebacker Shaq Thompson has expressed his interest in returning to the team to play in 2026. Thompson was a revelation for Buffalo, oftentimes playing in place of team captain and fellow linebacker Terrel Bernard.
While the defense had its fair share of issues, Thompson wasn’t one of them.
The veteran linebacker took to social media and left no doubt about what he wants, and it’s clear: he wants to come back and play for the Buffalo Bills. When approached directly on X, Thompson was posed to run it back in Buffalo and asked if they had been in contact with the linebacker.
“Trying to,” Thompson wrote on social media.
The Buffalo Bills could use linebacker help, and Thompson is more than ready to come back
In June 2025, Buffalo brought on Thompson to a one-year deal. His last stop was with the Carolina Panthers, where he played for 10 seasons. Ahead of his tenure with the Bills, the linebacker played in 123 games with 112 starts in his 10-year career. In those games, he has 752 career tackles, 54 tackles for loss, 32 quarterback hits, 12 sacks, and three interceptions.
The former Panther was originally drafted by Carolina in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, and proved that he still had plenty of gas left in the tank during his lone season in Buffalo.
In one season with the Bills, he played in 12 games with two passes defensed, one forced fumble, one sack, and 56 combined tackles. For his efforts, he earned a 68.9 grade for his overall defense, a 60.7 for his run defense, a 60.3 for his pass rush, and 72.2 for his coverage grade according to Pro Football Focus in 545 total snaps played.
At this point, it feels almost too easy.
Buffalo has a clear need at linebacker, Thompson knows the system, and he’s already shown he can step in and produce when his number is called. Add in the fact that he wants to be back, and this is the kind of low-risk, high-value move that contenders make to shore up depth before the season.
If the price is right, this reunion just makes too much sense for both sides. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if Thompson finds himself back in a Bills uniform sooner rather than later.
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