Things haven't gone as expected for the Carolina Panthers this season and veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen wasn't shy in admitting that in early December.
"It's tough. I'm not going to lie to you, I'm not going to sugarcoat anything. It's tough. Plans have changed...When I signed here, I envisioned this to be a lot different but that's just part of life. Most of the time the way you want things to go usually doesn't happen. So you just kind of keep working, controlling what you can control, and then obviously, you assess things when you can and you have time to and you make the best decision for the team and for yourself and you move forward."
One of the biggest reasons Thielen signed here, Frank Reich, is no longer the head coach. The other is the idea of building something special with Bryce Young, who has journeyed through some significant bumps in the road in his rookie season. Most of that is out of Young's control but the fact of the matter is, the Panthers are a long ways away from becoming a contender in the NFC.
Thielen has two years remaining on his deal and you'd have to wonder if the Panthers would consider moving him this offseason to give him a chance to win a Super Bowl late in his career and to also get a draft pick in return.
Despite all the issues the Panthers' offense has had, Thielen has become a security blanket of sorts for the young quarterback. After hauling in six receptions for 38 yards in Sunday's loss to Jacksonville, Thielen crossed the 100 reception, 1,000-yard mark for just the second time in his career.
In all likelihood, trading Thielen would net the Panthers a late day three pick. If he's bought in to seeing this through, it's worth holding on to him, giving Young a sure-handed, reliable vet to lean on as they attempt to address the rest of the room.
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