Brandon Beane and his staff are going to have to decide what moves to make when it comes not just their own pending free agents, but also look at the options that will be free agents from other teams. It’s a sad day knowing that it’s already time to start focusing on that since the Bills have been eliminated from the playoffs.
The Bills have a tough cap space situation, setting them up to have this roster looking way more different than it was this past season. One certain pending free agent may be one-and-done in Buffalo, but he played extremely well to the point where he was Buffalo’s best linebacker.
Shaq Thompson, who spent his career in Carolina before signing with Buffalo, came to the Bills to provide veteran presence on the defense. Not only did he do that, but he started and played a good amount of games due to various injuries.
Despite playing in just 12 games, Thompson finished seventh in total tackles on the Bills (56) with 6 of them being tackles for losses while also delivering some hard hits that set the tone for the defense. Whether it was Matt Milano or Terrel Bernard missing time, Thompson did not disappoint.
Now, Thompson is making his stance on his future with the Bills and it's hard to disagree with him on it.
Shaq Thompson makes it clear that he wants to be a starter
Nick Sabato reported that as far as coming back to Buffalo, it was Thompson’s “first priority”. At the same time, Thompson also said that he will be weighing his options and that he “knows he is a starter in this league.”
Shaq Thompson on coming back: I told Beane that's my first priority. But I'll definitely weigh my options because I want to start. I know I'm a starter in this league. #Bills
— Nick Sabato (@NickSabatoGNN) January 18, 2026
Fans can’t blame Thompson for wanting to look at all the options because if the Bills do make moves at linebacker that could prevent Thompson from being a starter, then no one should be surprised to see him leave.
Thompson has been a special player with great veteran experience. He played a similar game to what Matt Milano played, and Milano is also a pending free agent.
Buffalo has to make a decision on whether or not they believe Thompson is someone who can immediately help because if they don’t, then their linebacker room is going to look a lot more different next season and not for the better.