Receiver Adam Thielen will continue his career with the Panthers after agreeing to a three-year deal with the club.
But he had some other suitors on the open market after being released by the Vikings earlier this month.
“There was the Broncos, Cowboys — I had conversations with those teams and a few others,” Thielen said during a Monday appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. Again, the Panthers just felt like the best fit and it all kind of just worked out. It all happened kind of quickly. I didn’t know when it was going to happen and it kind of all came at once. But, again, my family, my wife, my kids, we’re so excited to go there.”
Thielen noted he’ll be in Charlotte on Tuesday to sign his contract, which means it’s also likely when he’ll address the local media.
“A lot of people are going to say I went there for the money and all that, but honestly at the end of the day, again, money was not a big deal,” Thielen said. “Of course, you want to get paid what you feel like you are worth. But at the end of the day, I wanted to go to a good situation for my family, for myself, and ultimately, that I felt like a place seriously had a chance at winning a Super Bowl. And I really do feel strongly with that.”
In 10 seasons with the Vikings — including one spent on the practice squad — Thielen caught 534 passes for 6,682 yards with 55 touchdowns. In 2022, he caught 70 passes for 716 yards with six TDs.
The Panthers are expected to draft a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick. Whoever it is should have a solid, reliable target to throw to in Thielen.
