Thielen Had Conversations With Dallas, Denver Before Agreeing With Carolina

(KDLM) – Adam Thielen and family will be in Charlotte, North Carolina tomorrow (Tuesday) to put pen to paper on a three-year, $25 million contract with the Carolina Panthers with $14 million of that contract guaranteed.

News broke of the deal on Monday evening, nine days after the Detroit Lakes native was released by his hometown Minnesota Vikings to create some cap flexibility heading into the offseason.

Thielen visited the Panthers last week, and told Pat McAfee on Monday that he also had conversations with at least two other teams.

“We had conversations with both the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos,” Thielen said. “But the Panthers just felt like the best fit and it all kind of just worked out. It all happened kind of quickly. My family, my wife, my kids…we’re so excited to go there. We’re excited to check out the city tomorrow.”

The Panthers have been very active in the first week of the offseason, trading for the top overall pick in April’s NFL Draft and signing players like running back Miles Sanders, tight end Hayden Hurst, and backup quarterback Andy Dalton.

“People are going to say I went to Carolina for the money and all of that. But, honestly, at the end of the day money was not a big deal. Of course, you want to get paid what you feel you are worth. I wanted to go to a good situation for my family, for myself, and a place that ultimately that I feel had a serious chance at winning a Super Bowl.”

Thielen, 32, immediately becomes the most tenured receiver on the Panthers. Thielen, a 10-year NFL vet, will join a receiver room containing Terrance Marshall Jr, CJ Sanders. Laviska Shenault Jr, Shi Smith, and Preston Williams…all of whom have four or fewer seasons in the NFL. Carolina traded their #1 wide receiver DJ Moore to Chicago in a package for the #1 pick in the draft.

The Panthers finished 7-10 last season but were only a game behind 8-9 Tampa Bay for the NFC South Division title.

“I had conversations with the Broncos, Cowboys and a few other teams.. Carolina felt like the best fit and it worked out”@athielen19 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/0LbtZKWKJG

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 20, 2023