Big Panthers Injury News Reveals Huge Trade Deadline Mistake

The Panthers were moderately active at the trade deadline but made one major mistake that's become even more clear after Week 10's injury report.

Veteran WR Adam Thielen is still recovering from an injury and did not play against the Giants. His 21-day window to return to practice from the injured reserve is open though, and he would've been a logical candidate to trade to a contending team.

Even if Carolina only recouped a seventh-round pick or late swap, that'd still be a better return than nothing. The Panthers can get out of his contract after this year and should they choose to do so, Thielen will walk and Carolina won't have anything to show for it.

Panthers Miss Opportunity to Trade WR Adam Thielen

The Panthers are staring at a full rebuild once again. They seemingly gave up on QB Bryce Young early in the year and have major questions across the entire roster.

While Carolina successfully traded Diontae Johnson, Thielen still represents a miss for GM Dan Morgan and his staff. Perhaps no team was interested in the oft-injured wideout, but his experience and production would've made him an upgrade for several contending teams.

He only has eight catches for 109 and a TD, though Thielen managed over 1,000 receiving yards last year. The 11-year veteran still has some juice and it would've been better for all parties if a trade was completed.

Thielen does still have one year left on his contract with a cap hit north of $8 million. Considering the franchise's poor status, it doesn't make a lot of sense to keep him. The Panthers should focus on developing young players like Xavier Legette and Ja'Tavion Sanders, letting Thielen go chase a Super Bowl ring instead of being stuck on a mediocre team.

It takes two teams to make a trade. At least in this case though, the Panthers missed out on a great opportunity.

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