Adam Thielen is unquestionably past his prime, but just ask the Panthers what a force multiplier he can be on offense with a young quarterback. Carolina’s ugly, horrible, no-good game against the Jaguars on Sunday left one lingering question “how much better would it have been with Adam Thielen?”
This was the bold move the Panthers made shortly before the season began. The team rolled the dice that its young receiving corps would be up to the task to shoulder the load without the veteran mentor, and it all went extremely wrong. There’s no doubt an injury to Jalen Coker, the Panthers’ standout UDFA from a year ago limited their passing attack, with Coker being earmarked to be heir apparent to Thielen’s role in the offense — but none of that mattered as time, and time, and time again pass catchers let down Bryce Young.
Young wasn’t great, but he was much better than the statistics showed. If it wasn’t Xavier Legette failing to drag his feet on easy outs (this happened twice), it was Hunter Renfrow not securing the ball to the ground (this also happened twice), and Rico Dowdle punching the ball in their air to create an interception (just for good measure). These are all things that Thielen excelled in with Young over their last two years together, and routinely we saw the third-year quarterback glance around the field, looking for his veteran safety valve — then realizing he wasn’t there.
That’s precisely what Thielen is going to bring to the table for J.J. McCarthy in Week 1, and why the Vikings brining him back was such a shrewd move, not one born simply out of Jordan Addison-based suspension desperation. It goes without saying that Justin Jefferson is one of the best receivers in the NFL, and such a profound talent that he makes his quarterback better — but he’s also heavily accounted for by opposing defenses. That will be especially true on Monday night with the Bears being able to bracket Jefferson with Jaylon Johnson and either of their talented safeties in Jaquan Brisker or Kevin Byard.
This will be even more pronounced if Johnson can’t go, as he remains questionable with a groin injury. If that happens then Chicago’s secondary will need to pivot Tyrique Stevenson over to cover him — which will leave Thielen in a great position to make an impact.
Looking at Thielen solely as a pass catcher is too reductive, however — because he’s so much more than that at this point in his career. There was a very clear cadence on the bench to how the Panthers operated last season. Young would finish a drive, look at the film himself, consult with veteran Andy Dalton, and then Thielen would sit with him to offer a receiver’s point of view on the key plays. When you’ve been in the league for 13 years and worked with a quarterback like Kirk Cousins (at his peak), then you naturally glean information about the quarterback position as well as your own.
Moreover, Thielen is in a position where he doesn’t need to be hyper-focused on his own individual performance as a receiver, because that’s Jefferson’s job. He will be given the freedom to talk to McCarthy, bounce ideas off him, and accelerate his development as a passer in real-time. It’s for this reason it doesn’t worry me that the Vikings will “ease” the veteran back into the offense, because his effect on the game can be felt from the sideline, as much as it does on the field.
The Vikings were beyond smart for bringing back a legend. This is more than a feel-good send off into the sunset, but rather a potentially defining move for the growth of their franchise QB.
