3 Adam Thielen Trades Panthers Must Make After Retirement Comments
By Chris Schad
The Carolina Panthers are trying to build something under Dave Canales but Adam Thielen’s most recent comments about retirement indicate that he may not want to stick around to be a part of it.
Thielen, who is entering the final year of a three-year, $25 million contract signed in 2023, told reporters that he was considering retirement following the conclusion of the Panthers seasons. But he told Mail Sport in Florida that he has since opened the door for a return.
“I think I still have some more football in me,” Thielen said. “We’ll see how that plays out in the next few weeks.”
Thielen’s comments indicate he would like to play next year but is unsure if he wants to return to Carolina, which has gone 7-27 since the 34-year-old arrived in Charlotte. If he’s unwilling to see the Panthers’ rebuild through, there are several trades the Panthers should consider over the next several weeks.
1. A Veteran Presence for the Kansas City Chiefs' Receiving Unit
The Chiefs don’t need much help these days as they’re aiming for their third consecutive championship in Super Bowl LIX. Getting Patrick Mahomes another weapon also doesn’t sound appealing, but it’s more tolerable considering Kansas City is in the opposite conference.
Either way, the Chiefs have more than enough reasons to be interested in Thielen this offseason. Kansas City has been trying to fill the void that Tyreek Hill left behind when he was traded to the Miami Dolphins before the 2023 season. While Thielen is nowhere near the burner that Hill is at this stage of his career, he could also serve as a reliable target the Chiefs didn’t have between Marquis Brown and DeAndre Hopkins this season.
Adding Thielen to a 35-year-old Travis Kelce doesn’t inspire visions of the Chiefs racing up and down the field. But they already have an explosive rookie in Xavier Worthy and could use Thielen to catch the ball when it’s thrown to him and keep defenses honest.
Since the Chiefs are in a championship window, the destination would be more appealing to Thielen and Kansas City may be able to give up a mid-to-late round pick to assist the Panthers with their rebuild.