Nov 3, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) walks off after a win against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Panthers activate WR Adam Thielen from IR

The Carolina Panthers activated veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen from injured reserve on Tuesday.

Thielen was activated on the final day of his 21-day practice window, which was opened on Oct. 23. Had the Panthers not done so, the wideout would have to remain on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

Thielen missed the team’s last seven games after sustaining a hamstring injury while laying out to reel in a 31-yard touchdown reception in the Panthers’ 36-22 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 22.

Thielen, 34, has eight catches for 109 yards and one touchdown in three games (all starts) during his second season with the Panthers. He played with the Minnesota Vikings from 2014-22.

The two-time Pro Bowl selection has 645 receptions for 7,805 yards and 60 touchdowns in 155 games (121 starts).

Also on Tuesday, the Panthers waived tight end Jordan Matthews.

Matthews, 32, did not record a catch in four games with the team this season.

–Field Level Media

Aug 17, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) during pregame warm ups against the New York Jets at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Reports: Panthers WR Adam Thielen headed to IR

The Carolina Panthers are expected to place wide receiver Adam Thielen on injured reserve due to an ailing hamstring, multiple reports said Tuesday.

Thielen sustained the injury while laying out to reel in a 31-yard touchdown reception during the second quarter in the Panthers’ 36-22 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. He immediately clutched at the back of his leg after making the catch.

Thielen, 34, has eight catches for 109 yards and one touchdown in three games (all starts) during his second season with the Panthers after playing with the Minnesota Vikings from 2014-22.

The two-time Pro Bowl selection has 645 receptions for 7,805 yards and 60 touchdowns in 155 games (121 starts).

–Field Level Media

Aug 25, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Brian Burns (0) warms up before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Panthers’ Brian Burns to play despite no deal

Carolina Panthers two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Brian Burns is expected to play in Sunday’s opener against the host Atlanta Falcons despite failing to reach a new contract, ESPN and NFL Network reported.

Burns was a full participant in the past three practices after sitting out two.

“Everybody wants a full squad out there and no injuries to deal with and no absences to deal with. … But this is just normal life in the NFL,” Panthers coach Frank Reich said Friday. “When we get there Sunday, the guys that are there, we will do everything we can to go out there and win a football game.”

Burns is set to play this season on his fifth-year rookie option worth $16 million. The sides are not close on term of an extension, ESPN reported.

He has 38 career sacks, including a career-high 12.5 in 2022. He has started 51 of 64 career games since the Panthers selected him No. 16 overall in the 2019 draft.

Also, newly acquired wide receiver Adam Thielen (ankle) is expected to play against the Falcons.

–Field Level Media

Sep 26, 2021; Jacksonville, Florida, USA;  Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver D.J. Chark (17) runs with the ball while being chased by Arizona Cardinals defensive back Jalen Thompson (34) in the fourth quarter at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Panthers WR DJ Chark (hamstring) ruled out vs. Falcons

Carolina Panthers wide receiver DJ Chark on Friday was ruled out for the team’s season opener against the host Atlanta Falcons.

Chark turned in a limited practice on Friday after missing the first two sessions of the week due to a hamstring injury.

Rookie quarterback Bryce Young could be without another wideout in his NFL debut, too. Adam Thielen, who is nursing an ankle injury, was limited in practice on Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game.

Terrace Marshall, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Laviska Shenault Jr. and rookie Jonathan Mingo are the other members of the wide-receiver room for the Panthers.

Chark, 26, had 30 receptions for 502 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games (10 starts) last season for the Detroit Lions. He signed a one-year, $5 million contract with Carolina in March.

Through 54 career games (40 starts), Chark has 177 catches for 2,544 yards and 18 touchdowns with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2018-21) and Lions (2022).

Thielen, 33, is in his first season with the Panthers after playing with the Minnesota Vikings from 2014-22. The two-time Pro Bowl selection (2017-18) has 534 receptions for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns in 135 career games (101 starts).

In 2022, Thielen started all 17 games and finished with 70 catches, 716 yards and six TDs.

–Field Level Media

Aug 25, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA;  Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) on the sidelines in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Panthers WR Adam Thielen (ankle) misses practice

The Carolina Panthers practiced without two starting wide receivers on Thursday as Adam Thielen joined DJ Chark Jr. on the sideline.

Chark has been out with a hamstring injury, while Thielen was limited at Wednesday’s practice due to an ankle injury and was held out completely on Thursday.

The Panthers, who open their season at the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, also listed Terrace Marshall Jr. (back) as limited. Fellow wideout Ihmir Smith-Marsette (ankle) was a full participant on Thursday.

Only two receivers on the active roster have not been on the injury report this week: Laviska Shenault Jr. and rookie Jonathan Mingo. Receivers Derek Wright and Dezmon Patmon are on the practice squad.

At other positions, safety Sam Franklin Jr. (knee) was listed as a limited participant for the second consecutive day. Defensive lineman DeShawn Williams (illness) returned to the field Thursday after missing Wednesday’s practice.

Thielen, 33, is in his first season with the Panthers after playing with the Minnesota Vikings from 2014-22. The two-time Pro Bowl selection (2017-18) has 534 receptions for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns in 135 games (101 starts).

In 2022, Thielen started all 17 games and finished with 70 catches, 716 yards and six TDs.

After working his way up from an undrafted free agent to a practice squad player to a starter, Thielen was released by the Vikings on March 10 in a cost-cutting move. He had signed a four-year, $64 million extension in April 2019, and the sides agreed to restructure the deal in 2021 and 2022. Minnesota saved $6.4 million against the 2023 salary cap while taking a dead-cap hit of $13.6 million.

Carolina signed him to a three-year contract the same month.

The Panthers needed to add an experienced receiver after trading their former No. 1 wideout, D.J. Moore, to the Chicago Bears in the deal for the No. 1 overall draft pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2023; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA;  Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Vikings release WR Adam Thielen after 9 seasons

The Minnesota Vikings released wide receiver Adam Thielen on Friday after nine seasons.

The 32-year-old Minnesota native and undrafted free agent from a Division II school became a two-time Pro Bowl selection and the third-leading receiver in franchise history.

Only Hall of Famers Cris Carter and Randy Moss caught more passes in a Vikings uniform than Thielen (534).

His release is a cost-cutting move for Minnesota, which will save about $6.4 million against the salary cap in 2023 while taking a dead-cap hit of $13.6 million.

“Adam will forever be a part of the Minnesota Vikings family and history,” general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a statement Friday. “Setting the standard with his play on the field, being a selfless teammate, and making a permanent impact in the community, Adam’s influence is significant. We are grateful for everything he brought to the Vikings organization since arriving in 2013, and I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to work with him over the last year. He is the best representation of what the Minnesota Vikings should stand for.”

Thielen signed a four-year, $64 million extension in April 2019, with the sides agreeing to restructure the deal in 2021 and 2022.

Thielen has 30 touchdown catches over the past three seasons, fifth-most in the NFL, and should generate interest in a relatively thin receiver market.

The Vikings first signed Thielen to a three-year, $1.485 million deal as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State in May 2013.

“Adam’s story is one many know and admire and an incredible example of what a relentless pursuit of a goal can ultimately accomplish,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said in a statement. “For over a decade, Adam honed his craft to become one of the most well-recognized wide receivers in the NFL. Over that same time, he poured so much of his time into his home state, which made it even more special for him to earn our 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination. I personally leaned on Adam for his work ethic, leadership and counsel multiple times to help get our team where we wanted it to be last season.”

Since making his debut in 2014, he has gained 6,682 receiving yards and scored 55 touchdowns in 135 games (101 starts) for the Vikings. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2017 and 2018.

–Field Level Media

Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) warms up before a wild card game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Report: WR Adam Thielen could be released by Vikings

There’s a “real possibility” that the Minnesota Vikings will release longtime wide receiver Adam Thielen in the coming days, ESPN reported Thursday.

The sides continue to talk about a restructured deal, per the reports. Thielen is set to count nearly $20 million against Minnesota’s cap in 2023.

Thielen, 32, signed a four-year, $64 million extension in April 2019, with the sides agreeing to restructure the deal in 2021 and 2022.

The Vikings would save at least $6.4 million in 2023 while taking a dead-cap hit of $13.6 million if they release the two-time Pro Bowler.

Thielen has 30 touchdown catches in the past three seasons, which ranks fifth in the NFL.

The Vikings first signed Thielen to a three-year, $1.485 million deal as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State in May 2013.

Since making his debut in 2014, he has 534 catches for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns in 135 career games (101 starts) for the Vikes. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2017 and 2018.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2023; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA;  Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

WR Adam Thielen on Vikings talks: ‘I’ve got a big cap hit’

While making the Super Bowl radio row rounds, wide receiver Adam Thielen said he wants to stick with the Minnesota Vikings for the rest of his career but there are financial particulars that need to be sorted through first.

“It’s a little interesting,” Thielen said Thursday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “We’re working through some stuff because I’ve got a big cap hit … My contract fully guarantees on, I think, March 16.”

The Vikings previously restructured Thielen’s contract to gain some cap relief in 2022, but in return, that bloated his 2023 cap hit to $19.97 million.

The veteran receiver, a Minnesota native who began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent signing with the Vikings, is due to see his $11.8 million salary become fully guaranteed, which is why the team is more than likely working on another restructure.

“I want to retire a Viking,” Thielen said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “Will that happen? I don’t know. This is also a business. And I also want my opportunity to show that I can play at a high level.”

Thielen, 32, caught 70 passes for 716 yards and six touchdowns last season as a complementary possession receiver to star wideout Justin Jefferson. He is a two-time Pro Bowler who has seen 90 or more targets in six seasons and has career totals of 534 catches, 6,682 receiving yards and 55 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Oct 11, 2020; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook (33) celebrates with wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) after rushing for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Vikings activate RB Dalvin Cook, put WR Adam Thielen on IR

The Minnesota Vikings activated running back Dalvin Cook from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday but lost wide receiver Adam Thielen for the remaining two games of the season.

Cook will be eligible to play Sunday night when the Vikings travel to Green Bay to face the Packers. On the season, he has carried the ball 226 times for 1,067 yards and six touchdowns. Cook, 26, has rushed for 1,000 yards in three straight seasons.

As for Thielen, the Vikings put him on season-ending injured reserve on Wednesday. Multiple outlets reported he had ankle surgery on Tuesday.

Thielen, 31, was limited to 13 games this season. The two-time Pro Bowl selection, in his eighth season in Minnesota, had 67 receptions for 726 yards for a career-low 10.8 yards per catch in 2021. He caught 10 touchdown passes.

Also Wednesday, the Vikings announced that rookie defensive end Patrick Jones II was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list and defensive back Tye Smith was restored to the practice squad. Smith had been on the practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Vikings (8-7) close the season at Green Bay (12-3), currently the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and then host the Chicago Bears (5-10) on Jan. 9. The Vikings are still in the playoff hunt but on the outside looking in.

The San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles both have 8-7 records and currently hold the wild-card playoff spots.

–Field Level Media