Panthers' Adam Thielen: Impressive showing against Bucs
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Thielen recorded eight receptions on 10 targets for 99 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 26-23 overtime loss to the Buccaneers.
Thielen led the team in targets and posted his highest yardage total since Week 6 of the 2023 season. His longest catch came on a 25-yard touchdown with 30 seconds remaining in the game for what appeared to be the game-winning score. He also chipped in a pair of 16-yard grabs and narrowly missed another touchdown grab just before halftime when he was ruled out of bounds on a controversial call. While the Panthers will likely try to get Xavier Legette and some of their other younger pass catchers involved down the stretch, Thielen has quickly become a favorite target of Bryce Young in two games since returning from a hamstring injury.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Makes immediate impact upon return
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Thielen recorded three receptions on four targets for 57 yards in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Chiefs.
Thielen was active for the first time since Week 3 after recovering from a hamstring injury. He finished fourth on the team in targets but made an immediate impact on the Carolina offense by accounting for the unit's longest play from scrimmage on a 36-yard catch late in the first quarter. Thielen also chipped in with a 13-yard reception on fourth down late in the fourth quarter to set up a game-tying touchdown. While the Panthers will be invested in getting targets to Xavier Legette and other younger skill position players down the stretch, Thielen should have a steady role among the receiver corps.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Active for first time since Week 3
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Thielen (hamstring) is active for Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Though he was activated from injured reserve during the Panthers' Week 11 bye, Thielen had still been listed as questionable heading into Sunday after logging a trio of limited practices this week. The Panthers were ultimately satisfied enough with the veteran wideout's health to clear him to play for the first time since Week 3, and he could immediately settle into a high-volume role in the passing attack. Since Thielen last played, the Panthers have traded away No. 1 wideout Diontae Johnson to the Ravens, and Carolina will also be down another key pass catcher Sunday in undrafted rookie receiver Jalen Coker (quadricep), who played 90 percent of the offensive snaps in a Week 10 win over the Giants.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Expected to play
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Thielen (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Kansas City, but Panthers head coach Dave Canales said Friday that the wide receiver will play, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
Thielen's active status should be confirmed 90 minutes prior to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff. He never quite made it back to full practice participation, instead logging limited sessions each day this week. The exact nature of his role remains in question, as Jalen Coker (quadriceps) has done solid work from the slot in recent weeks but now is listed as questionable after missing Friday's practice. While the Panthers may be inclined to move Coker to the perimeter anyway to free up slot work for Thielen, it's fair to say Thielen's Week 12 volume projection improves if he's active and Coker isn't.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Remains limited in practice
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Thielen (hamstring) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.
Thielen's reps have been capped in both of Carolina's first two official practices of Week 12 coming out of a bye week, but the wideout has previously indicated that he expects to play Sunday against the Chiefs. While Thielen's prediction could end up coming to pass, he'll still likely need to upgrade to full practice participation Friday to avoid taking a designation into the weekend. Thielen was activated from injured reserve over the Panthers' bye week after having missed the team's last seven games with a right hamstring injury.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Medically cleared to play
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Thielen (hamstring) has been medically cleared to play and said he took team reps for the first time in eight weeks during a limited practice Wednesday, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Previously limited to individual drills or side work, Thielen has now progressed to team drills after a Week 11 bye. He said Monday that he anticipates playing against the Chiefs this Sunday but will still need to see how he holds up in practice throughout the week. Thielen's upcoming return will cut into Jalen Coker's playing time unless the Panthers adjust by putting Coker on the perimeter and moving David Moore to the bench.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Limited in practice
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Thielen (hamstring) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.
Thielen said Monday that he anticipates returning this Sunday against the Chiefs, although he wasn't quite ready to guarantee his availability and said he would have to see how he feels during practice this week. His potential return this weekend may cost rookie Jalen Coker playing time, or the Panthers could adjust by putting Coker on the perimeter and moving David Moore to the bench.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Week 12 Waiver Priority List
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Thielen is expected to return from his seven-game absence with a hamstring injury in Week 12 against Kansas City, and we'll see what kind of role he has for the rest of the season. Xavier Legette (59 percent rostered) should be added in all leagues as well, and the rookie has scored a touchdown in three of his past five games. I would take him first ahead of Thielen for now. Thielen's best game this year came in the game he was injured in Week 3 at Las Vegas when he had three catches for 40 yards and a touchdown on five targets, and hopefully Bryce Young leans on his veteran receiver moving forward. Thielen and Legette are worth adding for 5 percent of your remaining FAB where available.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Not practicing Monday
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Thielen (hamstring) was spotted working off to the side during Monday's practice, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
Monday's session wasn't an official one, as the Panthers merely held a bonus practice following their Week 11 bye. Even so, Thielen's lack of participation in drills doesn't inspire much confidence that he's fully recovered from the right hamstring injury that has kept him from playing since Week 3. The Panthers activated Thielen from injured reserve last Tuesday, but the transaction may have had more to do with the wideout's 21-day evaluation window expiring rather than being an indication that he was healthy. In any case, what Thielen is able to do in official practice sessions Wednesday through Friday will provide some guidance on his odds of playing in Sunday's game against Kansas City.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Added back to 53-man roster
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The Panthers activated Thielen (hamstring) from injured reserve Tuesday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.
Carolina is on bye Week 11, but since Thielen's 21-day evaluation window came to a close Tuesday, he wouldn't have been eligible to play again this season had the Panthers not activated him. After having his window opened Oct. 23, Thielen was a limited participant in four of the Panthers' ensuing six practices, but he was listed as a non-participant in all three sessions during Week 10, which could hint at a setback in his recovery from the right hamstring injury he suffered back in Week 3. The bye week will provide Thielen with some added healing time, but his status for the Panthers' next game Nov. 24 versus Kansas City is still very much up in the air. Whenever he does rejoin the lineup, Thielen should step back into a prominent role after Diontae Johnson was traded to Baltimore on Oct. 29.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Ruled out
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Thielen (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Giants, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Thielen returned to practice Oct. 23 but didn't participate at all this week. While the Panthers haven't said anything about a setback, it's possible that's what happened. In any case, the team will need to place Thielen back on the active roster next week if he's going to play again this season rather than staying on injured reserve for the rest of the year.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Remains absent Friday
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Thielen (hamstring) remained sidelined at Friday's practice, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.
Thielen remains on injured reserve but traveled with the team to Germany ahead of Sunday's date with the Giants. However, the veteran wideout hasn't practiced all week and is looking like a long shot to be activated for Week 10. If Thielen remains out, Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker and David Moore will continue to handle wide receiver duties. They are the only three receivers on the 53-man roster after Carolina traded Jonathan Mingo to the Cowboys earlier in the week.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Still not practicing
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Thielen (hamstring) was a non-participant at Thursday's practice, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
With three consecutive DNPs stretching back to last week, Thielen seems to be trending in the wrong direction with his right hamstring in the middle of his 21-day window in which to practice while on injured reserve. The Panthers must activate him by next Wednesday, or else he'll miss the rest of the season, so it wouldn't surprise if he tries to give it a go at Friday's session. Ultimately, though, Thielen very well could be ruled out ahead of Sunday's contest against the Giants.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Not practicing
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Thielen (hamstring) didn't practice Wednesday, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.
The Panthers haven't said that Thielen has experienced a setback with his hamstring, but he's now sat out two consecutive practices after he was previously a non-participant in last Friday's session before being ruled out ahead of a 23-22 win over the Saints. He resumed practicing Oct. 23 and will need to be activated from injured reserve next week even if he's not ready to play, unless the Panthers want him ruled out for the rest of the season. Thielen's absence from practice to begin Week 10 prep suggests that he doesn't have great odds of playing this Sunday against the Giants in Munich.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Not returning Sunday
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Thielen (hamstring) has been downgraded to out for Sunday's game versus the Saints, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Considering he put together an LP-LP-DNP practice regimen this week, Thielen appears to have been testing out his right hamstring to see if a return to action was possible Sunday. His subsequent listing of doubtful indicated it wasn't, and Carolina has confirmed as much before game day. Thielen thus will turn his focus to Sunday, Nov. 10 against the Giants as his next possible chance to suit up for the first time since Week 3.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Doubtful for Week 9
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Carolina lists Thielen (hamstring) as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Saints, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Thielen has missed the Panthers' last five games with a right hamstring injury and remains on injured reserve, but he took part in practices for the second straight week and seems to be making progress. He was a limited participant Wednesday and Thursday before sitting out Friday's session entirely, but head coach Dave Canales said that Thielen didn't suffer any sort of setback in his recovery. The veteran wideout presumably just needs to get in some more practice time before he's ready to play, and Canales added that the expectation is that Thielen will be available for the Panthers' Week 10 game against the Giants in Munich, per David Newton of ESPN.com. Whenever Thielen makes his return to the lineup, he'll likely take over as the Panthers' No. 1 option in the passing game after Carolina traded Diontae Johnson to Baltimore earlier this week.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Logs limited practice Thursday
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Thielen (hamstring) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday.
Thielen maintained his activity level from Wednesday's session, and he now has one more chance to get back to full participation Friday before the Panthers potentially make a ruling on whether or not to activate him from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's game versus the Saints. He's been sidelined since Week 3 due to a right hamstring injury, and whenever he's able to return, he'll bolster a receiving corps that lost Diontae Johnson via trade to the Ravens earlier this week.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Limited in practice Wednesday
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Thielen (hamstring) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.
Thielen remains on injured reserve, but if he can maintain limited practice activity or upgrade to full activity at some point this week, he could be activated ahead of Sunday's game against the Saints. Whenever Thielen makes his return to the 53-man roster, he could be in line to handle an increased role on offense, after the Panthers traded top wideout Diontae Johnson (rib) to the Ravens on Tuesday. Of course, the Panthers are playing for the future, so the team could opt to maximize opportunities for rookies Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker and second-year wideout Jonathan Mingo once Thielen has been cleared to play.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Not yet ready to return
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Thielen (hamstring) is ruled out for Sunday's game against the Broncos, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Thielen, who remains on IR, logged two limited sessions after having his 21-day practice window opened, but he downgraded to a DNP listing Friday. With Diontae Johnson (rib) also ruled out for Week 8, quarterback Bryce Young will have to overcome a depleted receiving corps in his return to the starting lineup. Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, David Moore and Jonathan Mingo will have to serve as Young's available wideouts versus a stingy Denver secondary led by star cornerback Patrick Surtain.
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Panthers' Adam Thielen: Another limited session
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Thielen (hamstring) was limited in practice Thursday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Since Carolina designated him for return from injured reserve Wednesday, Thielen has managed a pair of capped sessions as he closes in on his recovery from the right hamstring injury that he suffered back in Week 3. Fellow WR Diontae Johnson hasn't practiced this week due to a rib issue, so the team may feel compelled to get Thielen back in the lineup Sunday in Denver if Johnson isn't able to suit up. Ultimately, the Panthers will need to activate Thielen from IR by Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET for him to have a chance to play this weekend.
