Adam Thielen moved back home to Minnesota but left Carolina with positive vibes about his former quarterback, Bryce Young.
Asked about the Panthers quarterback on Thursday, Thielen credited his improved play with elongating his career and making a trade back to the Vikings possible.
"I will say this about Bryce, because he deserves the respect. He's a great man. He's a great leader. And he's a great quarterback," Thielen said, via Alec Lewis of The Athletic. "You saw that at the end of last year. Just the stuff he had to go through, the adversity through his first two years in the league. You don't wish that upon anybody. For him to handle that, and to where he's at right now. It says a lot about his character, and who he is, and what kind of player he's going to be in this league. So much respect for him. Because I guarantee you, I'm not here today without him. Him trusting me. Him giving me opportunities. And believing in me to be able to still continue to play this game that I love."
Thielen spent two seasons in Carolina, both with Young as the primary starter. The wideout generated 1,629 yards on 151 catches, including 1,014 yards in 2023. Injuries limited him to 10 games last season; otherwise, he would likely have surpassed 1,000 yards again -- he averaged 61.5 yards per game.
Following a rocky start that included an early-season benching last year, Young revitalized his career. Down the stretch, he was particularly impressive. He led the NFL with a 7-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio from Weeks 16-18, per NFL Research, and posted a 111.6 passer rating. After regaining the starting role in Week 8, Young had five TDs and zero INTs under pressure while facing a 36.5% pressure rate, according to Next Gen Stats.
Thielen played a key role in Young's revitalization as a veteran wide receiver who was always where he needed to be. The two showed excellent rapport, and Young consistently trusted the veteran to choose correctly on two-way-go routes. In his final seven games with the Panthers, Thielen averaged 72.3 yards per game with four TDs and generated three tilts of 99-plus yards.
The trust built between Thielen and Young will be difficult for the Panthers to replace, but they'll lean on youngsters, Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker to grow with the QB.
The hope in Minnesota is that Thielen does the same for J.J. McCarthy as he did for Young.
