Just as the Panthers’ passing attack awakened, it will be without its most experienced option. Adam Thielen, who caught a touchdown pass in Carolina’s Week 3 win, will be shut down for a while.
Thielen suffered a hamstring injury, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the Panthers will place the veteran wide receiver on IR. This move will give the 2023 free agency pickup time to recover before the midseason point.
Hamstring maladies can certainly linger, and it might not be a lock if Thielen returns when first eligible. The 34-year-old wideout sustained what ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler calls a fairly significant injury. The Panthers saw a hamstring injury sideline Jaycee Horn for 10 games in 2023, with the IR move involving the cornerback sidelining him for almost all of Frank Reich‘s short-lived tenure. Thielen will be shut down until at least Week 8.
A notable market formed for Thielen following his 2023 Vikings release, and the Panthers won out with a three-year deal worth $25M. Thielen, who commanded a $14M guarantee at signing, was far and away Carolina’s top pass catcher last season. His 1,014 receiving yards led an anemic Panthers offense by nearly 500. Carolina, however, has since remade its receiving corps by trading for Diontae Johnson and using a first-round pick on Xavier Legette. This duo will be called to pick up the slack while Thielen rehabs.
Thielen’s injury occurred during his diving TD catch from new starter Andy Dalton. This will mark the former UDFA’s first missed game action since the 2021 season when he missed four contests. Thielen now has three 1,000-yard seasons on his resume, which produced two Vikings extensions and his current Panthers pact. At 34, however, the Division II product is the NFL’s oldest active wideout.
While Thielen’s post-2024 Charlotte future is in doubt due to his age and nonguaranteed salary, this year’s edition will certainly miss the dependable possession target. Johnson is coming off a career-high 122 receiving yards with Dalton taking over for Bryce Young, but this will thrust two of Carolina’s young targets — Legette and second-year cog Jonathan Mingo — into heavier workloads. It will be interesting to see how the younger pair responds now that more will be expected following Dalton’s strong showing.
