Sportsnaut
After cycling through several other options, it appears the Carolina Panthers have finally found a head coach they can win with. Following Sunday’s big win over the Los Angeles Rams, coach Dave Canales’ Panthers are entering the NFL Week 14 schedule with a 7-6 record, which is already a drastic improvement over the 5-12 mark they held last year.
Now that the Panthers are in playoff contention as the second-place team in the NFC South, the Panthers are no longer just trying to find players to fill out the back end of their roster, they’re looking for impact players who can help fuel a playoff run.
Perhaps that’s why coach Canales was asked about whether the Panthers would bring back 35-year-old Pro Bowl receiver Adam Thielen, who was just waived by the Minnesota Vikings after requesting his release.
Though, since Thielen is not officially free to be signed yet, coach Canales wasn’t willing to get too attached to the idea of a reunion just yet.
Panthers coach Dave Canales says since Thielen officially remains on the Vikings roster he will "kick that one down the road'' a few days before indicating whether the team would be interested in bringing the veteran receiver back. https://t.co/N5nRFMCy8s
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) December 1, 2025
The Panthers may very well be an ideal landing spot for Thielen, who is believed to still have a home in Carolina. He’ll also have a much easier reacclimation process, considering he already knows the offense and has built up chemistry with Bryce Young.
Either way, Thielen is looking for more opportunities to see the field in what he says is his final NFL season. He’s never won a Super Bowl ring either, so playing for a top contender could become a priority, depending on the opportunities that come his way.
Related: NFL Power Rankings 2025: Week-by-Week NFL Evaluations of All 32 Teams
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