Carolina Panthers veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen knows that he can still play. At the same time, he’s also aware that he is on the latter part of the back-nine in terms of his NFL career.
Entering his third season with the Panthers, Thielen is not in a rush to make a decision about his future beyond the upcoming 2025 campaign.
The two-time Pro Bowler, who will turn 35 years old in August, has one more year left on his contract, so his outlook after the coming season isn’t clear. But he’s ready to go through the same process he had before to determine his direction once the situation calls for it.
“I told you guys at the end of the season, like every yea,r you look back and you say, hey, like what what left do I have to give to this game?” Thielen said when asked about his outlook in the league (h/t Joe Person of The Athletic).
“You know, I talked to my family and they wanted me to keep playing. And so it would be the same process. You know, don’t not going to think about that right now. I’m going to focus on being the best football player I can possibly be, and you have to have that mindset in this league. And then once the season’s over, you know, evaluate, see where we’re at, see where the team’s at, see where I’m at individually and as a family, and figure it out. But yeah, definitely winding down my career, but excited about this year and what could happen.”
Adam Thielen looking to help Carolina Panthers’ offense in Year 3 with the team
The Panthers went just 5-12 in the 2024 campaign, Dave Canales’ first as the team’s head coach. However, there’s some promise shown by Carolina that year, especially the improved performance under center by quarterback Chase Young and the continued rise of running back Chubba Hubbard.
Young was controversially benched in the middle of the 2024 campaign but impressed when he returned, especially in the latter part of the season. In his final three starts in 2024, the former Alabama Crimson Tide QB threw for 361 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions.
Thielen, meanwhile, posted 615 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 48 receptions and 62 targets in 10 games.
The former Minnesota Vikings wideout is expected to be among the chief targets downfield by Young in 2025, along with rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who was taken in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft by Carolina. The Panthers also signed the returning Hunter Renfrow this offseason.
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