The Minnesota Vikings boast one of the NFL’s top wide receiver duos as they head into the playoffs, but Justin Jefferson’s former teammate, Adam Thielen, is still making an impact in the NFC South.
Thielen, a two-time Pro Bowler who played alongside Jefferson from 2020 to 2022, wrapped up his 2024 season with 48 receptions for 615 yards and 5 touchdowns, despite missing games due to injury. This performance followed a solid first season with the Carolina Panthers, where he caught 103 passes for 1,014 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Carolina finished the season on a high note, with second-year quarterback Bryce Young finding his form late in the season after a mid-year benching. The Panthers won two of their final three games and had a competitive stretch prior to that, with three of their four losses coming by six points or fewer.
Adam Thielen
Looking ahead, Carolina’s future appears optimistic in an NFC South division that has lacked a dominant team in recent years, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers no longer in control. Thielen, who turns 35 in August, still has a year remaining on his three-year, $25 million contract.
However, Thielen recently shared that he’s contemplating retirement after 11 seasons in the league. “Yeah, for sure,” he said on January 6. “I think every year I consider it. It’s no different than the last three years. Nothing has changed in the last three years as far as the process of the next two weeks. I’m gonna take two weeks to be around my family, get my mind away from football, see how my body feels and then be very clear of my intentions.”
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