CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson said after the season he wanted to finish his NFL career as a member of the Carolina Panthers, but the organization is moving in a different direction.
The team has informed the 30-year-old he is free to enter free agency.
"We appreciate Shaq's leadership and dedication over the past 10 seasons,'' general manager Dan Morgan said Monday in a statement. "Always a source of passion and enthusiasm, he was committed to this organization on and off the field, poured into his teammates, and strived to bring out the best in them.