The Buffalo Bills saw it firsthand this past January - veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson can still perform at a high level.
Over two playoff starts, Thompson accounted for 13 tackles, two tackles-for-loss and one interception.
"Shaq was instrumental to us last year," said Bills' first-year head coach Joe Brady, who was the offensive coordinator on the 2025 staff. "He was a perfect example of a guy that hey we didn't know how much he was going to end up playing and then next thing you know, the unfortunate reality, with some of the injuries, and he had to take a big role."
Now, after an offseason of lingering on the free agent market , the 32-year-old Thompson is back with the Bills in a practice squad capacity .
Buffalo Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson (45) nearly-intercepts the ball during the second quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
"Ultimate pro, unbelievable leader. The guy can just step in. He's super smart. Hard worker. He's got that presence to him," said Bills' general manager Brandon Beane. "What he can bring off the field is worth having him here. You saw him fill in last season when we had injuries whether it was TB [ Terrel Bernard ] or someone else. He's versatile. He's smart. He can play multiple spots."
Although it will take at least a couple weeks for the 2015 first-round draft pick to physically prepare for live game action, Thompson seems destined to see the field at some point.
"He didn't have a camp," said Beane. "Shaq and I talked off and on all offseason. We gotta kind of ramp him up. You can't replicate football. He's been trying to stay in shape. We'll try to get him in quote, unquote football shape."
Currently, Dorian Williams is projected to start alongside former two-time team captain Terrel Bernard at inside linebacker when the Bills visit the Houston Texans for the September 13 season opener. While Bernard has a firm grip on his role, Williams spent the summer battling against fourth-round rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr for his first-team spot.
While his experience and leadership qualities are more than enough reason to bring him back into the fold, Thompson was arguably the Bills' defensive performer at different times last season.
"[He] was a leader for us last year, and he's not here just to be a leader," said Brady. "He's here because, if an opportunity opens up, we feel comfortable Shaq being able to play football."
Buffalo Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson sacks Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix who kept the ball and was going to run with it during first half action at Empower FIeld at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 17, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Even without an injury to a linebacker on the active roster, Thompson, whose has 118 career appearances to his credit, may still get a chance to play sooner than later. His versatility makes him valuable in new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard 's 3-4 scheme.
"While he's there he understands what this is like, and the value that that brings to our defense, to our offense, to our football team, is huge. We've been in communication with him for a while. He's been wanting to be back here since the last day of the season last year. So, fortunate that we were able to kind of kind of get this done," said Brady.
Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Buffalo Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson (45) intercepts the ball during the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars in an AFC Wild Card Round game at EverBank Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The situation seems similar to what the Bills did with veteran safety Jordan Poyer last year , signing him to the practice squad prior to Week 1 and eventually deploying him as a starter.
"If you remember last year we signed Poyer this time of year to the P-Squad," said Beane. "I don't know yet when Shaq would be ready to roll. We'll take that kind of one week at a time."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/bills/onsi as Joe Brady 'Feels Comfortable' Deploying Buffalo Bills' 32-Year-Old Linebacker .
