Panthers WR explains why he's not looking forward to playing Vikings

Thielen signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and spent the first nine seasons of his career with the franchise. The 32-year-old made back-to-back Pro Bowls during the 2017 and 2018 campaigns and ranks inside the top five on the franchise leaderboard in a host of prominent categories.

Thielen trails only Hall-of-Famers Cris Carter and Randy Moss in targets (776), receptions (534) and receiving touchdowns (55), while placing fourth in receiving yards (6,682). Thielen also added 24 catches for 331 scoreless yards on 39 targets across six playoff games with the organization.

The Minnesota State product signed a three-year deal with the Panthers in March, as the team made a host of notable moves to revamp their offense. In addition to trading up and selecting Bryce Young first overall in the NFL Draft, head coach Frank Reich and company also added Pro Bowl running back Miles Sanders and veteran quarterback Andy Dalton.

After spending a number of years in the shadow of Stefon Diggs (and then Justin Jefferson), Thielen is expected to step in as Young's top wideout. The Panthers traded previous No. 1 receiver D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears as part of a package to land the first overall pick.

Thielen's shot at a revenge game against the Vikings will come in Week 4, when Carolina hosts Minnesota at 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 1.