Panthers’ Adam Thielen Doesn’t Hold Back On Facing Vikings

Sunday will be an emotional afternoon for Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen. It will be the first time that he is going up against his old team, the Minnesota Vikings. He had admitted that it would take some getting used to, even having a slip-up when talking about it.

“Little bit weird, honestly,” Thielen said in a Wednesday news conference. “I’ve never game-planned for our defense, or the Vikings defense, I should say.”

Despite joining a new franchise this offseason, Adam Thielen still sounds like a Viking through and through. He signed a three-year, $25 million deal with Carolina this offseason after Minnesota released him to save some money.

Understandably so, there are some hard feelings from his perspective after getting released. That is never an easy thing to go through, especially when it comes from the franchise you have spent the first 10 years of your NFL career with that happens to be your hometown team.

But, Adam Thielen still has a lot of love and admiration for the Vikings franchise. While this one is certainly different from any other game in his career, he is attempting to approach it like just another Sunday in the NFL.

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that since the schedule came out. Was excited that I get to play against Minnesota? Yeah. But I’m just trying to treat it like another football game; I know that’s very cliche to say,” Thielen said. “I’m going to take advantage of pregame… go say what’s up to everybody you know throughout the organization. I mean shoot, I was there for 10 years so a lot of relationships that I built that are strong relationships that I’m excited to go and see those people and say hello and thank them and tell them how much I appreciate them.

“Then when that whistle blows and I get between those lines, I’m playing football like I do every week.”

Adam Thielen is heading into the matchup against his old team with a lot of momentum. He is coming off the best game of the 2023 season as he caught 11 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks last week.

That is the first time Adam Thielen has surpassed the 100-yard receiving mark since Week 6 of the 2021 season. Coincidentally, that performance came against the Panthers. 

That is two straight games with a touchdown as the veteran has seen his usage increase every week thus far this season. Will that trend continue against the Vikings? Adam Thielen certainly hopes so, as he will be motivated to have a great game against his old team.