Definitely winding down my career

Carolina Panthers veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen said Friday that he knows his football career is approaching the end. Thielen – entering his third season with the Panthers – explained that he isn’t thinking too far ahead. He wants to focus on playing well this year.

The wide receiver mentioned he’d sit down with his family and decide what’s next after the season. His family, however, wants him to keep playing.

“I talked to my family, and they wanted me to keep playing. And so it’ll be the same process,” Thielen said. “You know, don’t, not going to think about that right now. I’m going to focus on being the best football player I can possibly be, and you have to have that mindset in this league.

“Once the season’s over, you know, evaluate, see where we’re at, see where the team’s at, see where I’m at individually and as a family, and figure it out. But yeah, definitely winding down my career, but excited about this year and what could happen,” he added.

Adam Thielen – who will turn 35 in August – has one year left on his contract. The wide receiver – who registered 615 receiving yards, five touchdowns and 48 catches from 62 targets in 10 games in 2024 – is expected to remain an important part of Carolina’s offense and bounce back from a 5-12 finish last season under coach Dave Canales. Still, the team showed some progress. QB Bryce Young ended the year, throwing 15 TDs and nine interceptions.

In 2025, Thielen will work with Young again. He will also share the field with rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan and returning veteran Hunter Renfrow. Thielen hopes to help lead the Panthers’s offense in what could be his final season in the NFL.

Panthers draft Jimmy Horn Jr. to add depth behind Adam Thielen

The Carolina Panthers used their final pick in the 2025 NFL draft to add more depth at wide receiver, selecting Jimmy Horn Jr. in the sixth round, a move that could help provide depth behind veteran Adam Thielen. With Thielen approaching the end of his career, Horn’s selection adds a promising option for QB Young.

Horn — a Colorado product — brings a different skill set to Carolina’s offense. He’s undersized but known for his quickness, low center of gravity, and ability to find space. These traits differ from the bigger-bodied receivers coach Dave Canales has typically preferred but expand the team’s offensive flexibility. Horn will begin lower on the depth chart and must work his way up.

As Jimmy Horn Jr. transitions to the professional level, his ability to handle more physical defenders will be tested during offseason training.