The Panthers got their first on-field look at linebacker Shaq Thompson since drafting him in the first round at their rookie minicamp over the weekend, but it wasn’t quite as extended a look as they hoped to get.
Thompson tweaked his hamstring during Friday’s workout, which forced him to the sideline as a spectator as the team wrapped up their work on Saturday. While there’s no sign that the injury is a significant one, it did cost Thompson his only chance to work with the team for the next month.
The University of Washington doesn’t conclude its school year until June, leaving Thompson unable to practice with the Panthers during their organized team activities in the coming weeks.
“That was the biggest thing was he was losing quality reps,” coach Ron Rivera said, via the Charlotte Observer. “So yeah I am concerned about that.”
Rivera said that the team was still trying to figure out how Thompson’s versatility “fits into the scheme,” which was going to be one of the bigger questions for the team to answer at training camp even without the hamstring tweak because of their limited ability to work with Thompson this spring.