Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson has greatness left in him.

The 30-year-old suffered a near career-defining leg injury early in the 2023 season. He wound up missing the rest of the campaign.

As training camp nears – Panthers veterans are supposed to report on Saturday, July 20 – Thompson believes his leg injury wasn’t a step back. He views it as a step forward.

“I don’t think I’ve lost a step,” Thompson said, via the Panthers’ official website. “To be honest with you, I think after breaking my leg, I probably gained a step. I’m way lighter than I used to be, feeling the game more.”

It is a sentiment that is felt all across a drastically different Panthers defense. Derrick Brown, the anchor to Carolina’s defensive line, sees Thompson as doing even better than anyone could realistically expect.

“I think he’s doing even better,” Brown said. “I mean, he had a horrible incident last year. But he’s out there still flying around, and he’s still got a lot of wisdom for the game.”

Thompson will continue a leadership role. It is one he finds comfort in.

“He’s our captain, man when he speaks, his voice is heard,” Brown said. “He knows he knows the defense in and out, and sometimes he talks to me and asks me questions, and I’m like, don’t ask me that because I don’t need to be thinking about that.

“But Shaq’s been the captain since I’ve been here, so I still got a lot of respect for Shaq.”

It’s high praise for a linebacker whose production will define the energy Carolina’s defense plays with.