2 Other Teams Wanted Adam Thielen
Josh Frey
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Over the weekend, former Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen signed a lucrative 3-year contract with the Carolina Panthers. The deal in all is worth a total of $25 million with $14 million guaranteed. Then, on Monday afternoon, he joined The Pat McAfee Show to discuss his new contract as well as some of the details that went into his decision. McAfee actually broke the news on Twitter, revealing that Thielen texted him the details of the contract.
During the interview, Thielen revealed that there were at least two other teams desiring his services other than Carolina as well: the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys. Thielen said during the interview, ““I had conversations with the Broncos, Cowboys, and a few other teams. Carolina felt like the best fit and it worked out.”
Ultimately, it appears that there were a couple factors that ultimately landed him in Carolina rather than another place:
- Golf simulator in the locker room (see the 1:00 mark of the interview linked above)
- The stability of a three-year contract
- Bringing in QB Andy Dalton, among other vets
- A belief that Carolina is in “win-now” mode
Thielen believes that there is something special brewing in Carolina, which is ultimately what landed him with the Panthers. He declared around the 15-minute mark of the interview, “It was very clear that they have a plan to win and win now and win the big prize. It’s not just get through a couple years and see how the rookie does. No, they’re planning to win.”
The Panthers have certainly made a few interesting moves this offseason. They hired Frank Reich as the new head coach, and presumably, he along with QB coach Josh McCown will groom whichever young quarterback Carolina drafts with the recently acquired No. 1 overall pick.
They’ve also brought in a number of veterans such as the aforementioned Dalton as well as tight end Hayden Hurst, running back Miles Sanders, safety Vonn Bell, and nose tackle Shy Tuttle. Certainly, this once-young roster is looking to be chock-full of veterans in 2023 that will surround their rookie QB with experience.
The Minnesota Vikings are set to face off against their former wide receiver this upcoming season, so they will get a chance to see first-hand what this new roster truly can do on the field. The Vikings will make a trip out to Thielen’s new home at some point during the 2023 regular season, though we do not know exactly which week that will take place.
Had Thielen joined the Denver Broncos, he would have made his first trip to U.S. Bank Stadium as an opponent, but the Dallas Cowboys are not on the Vikings schedule for the regular season.
Ultimately, we will see how this latest step in Thielen’s journey ends up. As of now, the NFC South division looks wide-open and ripe for the taking by any of its four teams if they want it. It appears that the Panthers are going for it, and the former Vikings wide receiver will be a big part of their plans.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.