According to Ian Rappaport, the Carolina Panthers have re-signed tight end Ian Thomas on a 3-year contract worth $16.5M. Thomas, who was slated to become an unrestricted free agent, will receive $6.435M cash year one and $8M fully guaranteed. The deal, which isn’t bad given that he only had 18 catches for 188 yards, struck many fans as a bit rich for a guy who hasn’t impressed all that much in his four years at Carolina. Head Coach Matt Rhule, however, spoke highly of Thomas throughout last season, referencing his work ethic and improved play. Thomas supporters have cited his improved blocking and areas he struggled with early in his career.

Excitement for Thomas swelled throughout his rookie season, where he had 49 receptions, 333 yards, and two touchdowns. Thomas, however, struggled throughout his sophomore season in 2019, finding himself in Ron Rivera’s well-known doghouse. When Matt Rhule took over in 2020, many hoped that Joe Brady’s offense that made Thaddeus Moss look great at LSU would reinvigorate Thomas. Instead, his offensive production didn’t improve, which disappointed since he viewed more of a receiving tight end than a traditional blocking tight end.

Rookie Tommy Tremble played a more prominent role in the offense last season, leaving the dirty work mainly to Thomas. However, Thomas must have shown something to the coaching staff beyond offensive production last year to warrant his return.

While there are varying opinions about Thomas’s play, many fans are rolling their eyes at what appears to be a highly lucrative contract for an underperforming player. It’s hard to gauge his value from the outside. Rhule has gushed about him; his snap counts have been consistently high over the last two years; he’s been available, and he’s improved as a blocker. On the other hand, Carolina’s offensive line hasn’t impressed in the least, and the tight end position has been a non-factor in Carolina’s offense.

There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding Carolina’s offense, particularly the need to improve the offensive line. Maybe Rhule’s familiarity with Thomas and what he has seen beyond the stat sheet makes for one less unknown going forward. I’m guessing this is a one-year deal, essentially, where Thomas gets paid enough to return and play hard enough to either help Rhule survive or find a new team with an opportunity for a new contract in 2022 if he doesn’t. Carolina gets a known commodity, a degree of leadership, and a guy they can expect to be a lockerroom guy since they took care of him financially.

By Tony Dunn
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