David NewtonESPN Staff Writer7:43 PM ET2 Minute Read
CHARLOTTE, NC — Adam Thielen will help fill in the void of an experienced wide receiver that the Carolina Panthers lost when they locked DJ Moore in a trade with the Chicago Bears for the NFL draft first pick.
The Panthers announced on Sunday that they have reached a deal with Thielen. The contract is for three years, a league source told ESPN.
Thielen met with the Panthers in Charlotte last week as he began exploring a free hand. Although he left without a contract, a league source said there was a mutual interest between the parties in striking a deal.
Carolina also met with former Detroit Lions wide receiver DJ Chark on Friday, according to a league source. There’s still a chance the team will sign him as well.
Carolina’s top wideouts returning from last season were Terrace Marshall Jr., Laviska Shenault Jr. and Shi Smith, who had 77 combined catches.
Thielen brings a leadership presence to the Receivers’ gathering space, which the Panthers were looking for even before Moore was sold to the Bears. Moore had been more of a role model.
Thielen was fired by the Minnesota Vikings after 10 seasons said to be cut before June 1 so the team could avoid its 2023 salary cap.
The Minnesota native, who played collegiately at the Minnesota State Mankato, ranked third on the Vikings all-time receiving list with 534 catches, trailing only Cris Carter and Randy Moss of the Hall of Fame. Thielen joined the Vikings in 2013 after founding the team in a rookie tryout camp and working his way up from practice team to a special team role, becoming a two-time Pro Bowl selection as a star wideout.
Thielen, who turns 33 in August, had 70 catches for 716 yards and six touchdowns last season. However, his role gradually began to dwindle as he finished fourth in the last five games behind younger pass catchers Justin Jefferson, TJ Hockenson and KJ Osborn.
The Vikings made it clear in talks this offseason that Thielen, who was expected to earn $19.97 million in 2023, would play a smaller role in addition to a pay cut if he restructured his contract to remain with the team. The wideout told ESPN in February he hopes to retire as a Viking, but he also wants “my opportunity to show I can play at a high level.”
Overall, Thielen, who the Vikings described as “a selfless teammate,” has rushed for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns over the course of his career. His best season came in 2018 when he had 113 catches for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns. He was the team’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee for 2022.
“He best represents what the Minnesota Vikings stand for,” said general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.