Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen runs after a catch against the Atlanta Falcons. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Adam Thielen calls added intensity, trash-talking at practice 'progress' for Panthers

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 2:00 PM ET

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen is entering his third season with the franchise after joining the team in 2023.

Thielen was expected to help bring Bryce Young into the fold as the team's starting quarterback, and he has been part of the culture change for the franchise.

Now that Thielen has been around for a little while, he is sensing a different intensity throughout the rest of the team.

“I think it just talks about our team. We’re a bunch of guys that want it. I think guys are finally sick of being the same old, same old Carolina Panthers,” Thielen said via The Athletic insider Joseph Person.

“I think we want to get back to what they did here in the past in 2015 and some of those other years when they had deep playoff runs and had the crowd involved and the city hyped up. We haven’t had that.”

The Panthers are 7-27 since Thielen arrived in 2023, which is far from what he expected when he signed with Carolina.

When Thielen came into the league in 2013, the Panthers were one of the league's top teams. They won the NFC South in the first three years of Thielen's career while he was with the Minnesota Vikings. They have yet to win a division title since.

With Thielen's hungry energy and a renewed sense of confidence surrounding the organization, the Panthers hope to get back to the playoffs and bring along a new generation of success to the franchise.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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