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Buffalo Bills Bring Back Veteran Linebacker, Former Washington Huskies Player
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- Buffalo Bills Bring Back Veteran Linebacker, Former Washington Huskies Player
(Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union)
The Washington Huskies football team will have a series of new players in the NFL ranks this season. Several 2026 NFL draftees made the 53-man rosters for their respective teams and will take the field when Week 1 begins.
Many former Huskies who are veterans in the NFL are also set to return this season, including a former linebacker who will be heading back to a familiar destination.
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According to a post on "X" from Buffalo News reporter Jay Skurski, the Buffalo Bills re-signed Shaq Thompson to the practice squad earlier this week.
If Thompson sees action in a game this season, it will mark his 12th season in the NFL.
This will mark Thompson's second year with the Bills. He signed a one-year free agent deal with the organization last offseason and provided some veteran depth to the team's defense. He finished his first year in upstate New York with 56 total tackles (33 solo) across 12 games (six starts). He also had a sack, two passes defended and forced a fumble.
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Thompson's lengthy NFL career came after a collegiate career that saw him earn several accolades with Washington.
The Sacramento, Calif., native played with the Huskies from 2012-14. He began his career as a defensive back and played 13 games as a true freshman in '12 before making the transition to linebacker his final two years in college. He finished his stint on Montlake with 233 total tackles (146 solo), including 15 tackles for loss in 39 total games. He also had 3.5 sacks and eight passes defended. He reeled in five interceptions and returned two for touchdowns, forced three fumbles and returned three-of-four fumble recoveries for touchdowns.
Thompson also played on the offensive side of the ball his final year in college as a running back. He ran 61 times for 456 yards and two touchdowns. He won the Paul Hornung Award, annually awarded to the player with the best combination of versatility and high performances in college football, and was named first-team All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 in 2014.
Thompson was selected in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers , where he played from 2015-24.
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Across his decade-plus NFL career, Thompson has totaled 808 tackles (503 solo) across 135 games (118 starts). He has 28 career passes defended, three interceptions, five forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries, including one returned for a score.
