Adam Thielen has a message Bryce Young would love to hear
Adam Thielen knows he can’t just expect to be the same player he was a year ago.
With all the additions the Carolina Panthers made at the wide receiver position, Adam Thielen's role is expected to change in the 2024 season.
The good news for Bryce Young is that the veteran wide receiver appears ready for any change that could be coming down the pipe.
"I think I talk to the young guys about this all the time, is no matter who you are, no matter how old you are, no matter how many years you've been in the league, you have something to prove," Thielen said, via the Panthers' official website. "And you have to have that mindset every single day, whether it's OTAs when no one's watching other than the coaches, or on Sundays when 60,000 people are watching, you have to have that same mindset that you're going to prove that you can play at a high level.
"And, you know, it doesn't change no matter how many years. When you're in years 10, 11, 12, you have to go out there and prove it, right?"
That is a message Young will love to hear. Already, Thielen is coming in as one of Young's favorite targets.
During the 2023 season, he caught 103 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. Moving into his mid-30s, expecting that same production would be a fool's game. However, Thielen isn't doubting his abilities to produce, especially with the added help at wide receiver.
"I think that we are setting ourselves up to have success," he said. "Now, does that mean that we're going to have success on Day 1 or Week 10 or whatever? I don't know. But I will say that in my opinion, you always have to have the opportunity to have success. You have to have the preparation; you have to be set up to have success. And I feel like that's what we're doing right now.
"And there's a lot of reasons for that. It's organization, it's process, there is a clear understanding of what we're doing from the top down. And again, those are the things that set you up to have that success."
If Thielen can be the same wide receiver he was during the 2023 season, coupled with Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette, the Panthers offense ought to come to life during Young's second season in the league.
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