Adam Thielen (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
NFL teams looking to bolster their offense between now and the Nov. 5 trade deadline should call the Carolina Panthers about star wide receiver Adam Thielen.
There aren’t any indicators that Adam Thielen wants out of Carolina, nor are the Panthers shopping the 34-year-old wide receiver. But with the new-look NFC South club in rebuilding mode, GM Dan Morgan has to be at least open to trading his star wideout for the right price.
Thielen is entering the second season of a three-year, $25 million pact he signed with Carolina in 2023 free agency. The former Minnesota Viking turned back the clock and posted his best season since 2018, tallying 103 receptions for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns.
But Thielen is unlikely to repeat that success as a 34-year-old in 2024, especially after Carolina bolstered the offense by bringing in former Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver Diontae Johnson and rookies in WR Xavier Legette, tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders and running back Jonathan Brooks.
One WR-needy team that should be aggressive in a trade for Adam Thielen is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who still feel one more offensive playmaker away from emerging as a Super Bowl contender.
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Pittsburgh sent the aforementioned Diontae Johnson to the Panthers in a surprise transaction. The Panthers were linked to San Francisco 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk, but it appears that trade talks between the two sides have at least slowed down or gone cold altogether.
The Steelers have a rising star wideout in George Pickens, a standout tight end in Pat Freiermuth, and a dynamic rushing duo in Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris. By adding a 1,000-yard weapon like Thielen to the mix, Pittsburgh’s offense just might reach another level that will help them compete in a difficult AFC.
What Steelers Should Offer Panthers For Adam Thielen
The Steelers got a borderline starting-caliber cornerback in Donte Jackson and a sixth-round pick from Carolina for a 28-year-old Johnson and a seventh-round pick. Going by that, Thielen probably wouldn’t cost more than a mid or late-round pick for Steelers GM Omar Khan.
Pittsburgh should offer Carolina a 2025 fifth-round pick (the Steelers own the Rams’ 2025 fifth-rounder) and 2026 sixth-round picks. Thielen may be in his mid-30s, but he would still give Pittsburgh a bonafide No. 2 WR to help their playoff push with a Russell Wilson-Justin Fields quarterback tandem.
