Heading into his age-35 season, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen knows that his career is closer to the end than it is to the beginning. In fact, Thielen acknowledged this week that the 2025 season could end up being his last in the NFL.
“It could be, yeah,” Thielen said, via The Athletic. “I told you guys at the end of the season, like every year, you look back and you say what left do I have to give to this game? I talked to my family, and they wanted me to keep playing. So it’ll be the same process. I’m not gonna think about that right now. I’m gonna focus on being the best football player I can possibly be. You have to have that mindset in this league.
“And then once the season’s over, 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.”
Thielen has played 11 seasons in the league, catching 685 passes for 8,311 yards and 64 touchdowns. He played the first nine of those seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, making the Pro Bowl twice and being named a second-team All-Pro in 2017.
For the last two years in Carolina, he has largely operated as Bryce Young’s No. 1 target when healthy and available. He caught 103 passes for 1,014 yards in 2023. His overall numbers dropped quite a bit in 2024 (48 catches for 615 yards), but he also only played in 10 games.
Thielen may not be the top target for Young much longer, though. Thielen is entering the final year of his contract and the Panthers drafted former Arizona star Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s draft, likely with the idea of him becoming the eventual No. 1. Still, Thielen should be a valuable piece of the puzzle this coming season, especially considering the chemistry he and Young have developed over the last couple years. And if he makes it through the season still playing at a high level, maybe the Panthers sign him to one more deal to return in 2026 and perhaps beyond.
This news was originally published on this post .
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