Final season, Panthers veteran huge receiver Adam Thielen had his first 1,000-yard receiving marketing campaign since 2018.
Nonetheless, the 33-year-old lately revealed that it was arguably the hardest yr of his 11-year NFL profession.
“It was most likely the largest progress I’ve ever had as an individual, as a participant, ever in my life simply because I needed to be the person who I say I’m day in and time out,” Thielen stated on KFAN Minneapolis. “I needed to form of test myself on the door each single day as a result of issues weren’t straightforward, issues weren’t going easy.”
Whereas Thielen’s 103 catches for 1,014 yards and 4 touchdowns have been spectacular so late in his profession, he was about the one silver lining of Carolina’s 2023 season.
The Panthers completed with the worst document within the league (2-15), which Thielen stated gave him and his teammates the possibility to “discover out actually who you’re.”
Thielen says it was a optimistic course of for him as a result of it pressured him to be the chief that he believed he might be, however the identical could not be capable of be stated about quarterback Bryce Younger.
The No. 1 total choose in 2023 struggled as a rookie, throwing simply 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 16 video games. Thielen thinks final yr will change into “an ideal blessing” for Younger, who remains to be trying to show Carolina proper for utilizing its first total choose on him.
Thielen appears to be extra optimistic than most following what was a really disappointing season, however there may be cause to imagine issues shall be a lot improved in 2024.
The Panthers added a number of playmakers to their offense this offseason, buying and selling for veteran huge receiver Diontae Johnson and choosing huge receiver Xavier Legette (first spherical), operating again Jonathon Brooks (second spherical) and tight finish Ja’Tavion Sanders (fourth spherical) within the 2024 NFL Draft.
Whereas all of them ought to assist Carolina be a greater crew this season, Thielen’s numbers could drop consequently, however that’s only a small worth to pay to get again to enjoying successful soccer.
