The Carolina Panthers have exercised the fifth-year option on linebacker Shaq Thompson, the team announced Tuesday.
In 2017, Thompson started a career-high 14 games and posted a personal-best 75 tackles with six quarterback pressures and two sacks.
Thompson, a first-round draft choice in 2015 (25th overall) out of Washington, has 206 tackles, three sacks, one interception, eight passes defensed, and two fumble recoveries, including one returned for a touchdown, in his three NFL seasons.