Panthers' Adam Thielen: Bryce Young's adverse rookie season 'made him a stronger leader'

Bryce Young‘s rookie season left a lot to be desired in Carolina.

The performance of the Panthers’ quarterback, a No. 1 overall pick, didn’t quite meet the lofty expectations. He led an offense that finished at the bottom in terms of yards (265.3) and points (13.9) per game, resulting in a 73.7 passer rating.

Young’s struggles were perhaps furthered by the shuffling of offensive play-callers and the eventual midseason firing of Frank Reich and several other offensive coaches on the staff. However, veteran Panthers wideout Adam Thielen believes that adversity Young faced will one day be looked back on as a redeeming experience.

“I told Bryce after the season was over, I said ‘I know this was a difficult season for you and many others,’ but I think it’s the best thing that could happen to him,” Thielen said during an upcoming appearance on Monday’s edition of NFL Network’s The Insiders. “I truly believe he’s going to look back 10 years or 15 years from now and he’s going to say, ‘I’m so glad that happened my rookie year, the adversity that I had to face.’

I believe the uncontrollable events that he experienced have greatly contributed to his growth as a leader and individual. I’m eager to see how he will use last year’s occurrences to build upon. I hope he will embrace the positive aspects and learn from the negative ones for the betterment of the team. I am thrilled to watch his career progress, and I’m grateful and excited to be part of its initial years to see what unfolds.

Throughout the debut season of the QB, Thielen was a dependable figure, recording 103 receptions for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. In 2023, Young concluded with a completion rate of 59.8%, throwing for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. These are statistics that new head coach Dave Canales aims to significantly enhance in 2024.

Aiding that effort, Carolina upgraded its receiving corps this offseason, acquiring Diontae Johnson via trade and drafting Xavier Legette with the No. 32 overall pick. Thielen is excited to see how Johnson and Legette enhance the Panthers offense, but has also already seen growth from youngsters Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall Jr. during the club’s offseason program.

Thielen expressed his excitement about the offseason, particularly noting the progress of Carolina’s new additions. He singled out young players like Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall Jr. who have shown remarkable improvement. He acknowledged that many talented players had not been able to fully showcase their abilities in the past, making their growth this season particularly satisfying to witness.

Thielen also praised Diontae, describing him as a unique football player with his ability to move, change direction, and track the football. He believes Diontae’s introduction to the team has significantly boosted the group’s performance.

Thielen also expressed his enthusiasm about having a talented rookie with different skills, describing him as a big, strong, fast, and physical player capable of doing many things. He concluded by saying that having players with diverse skills on the team opens up an easy, organic path to offensive success.

Canales was instrumental in Baker Mayfield‘s impressive comeback season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023 but takes on a much more substantial project in Young. The rookie coach also inherits a Panthers club that has neither produced a winning season nor reached the playoffs since 2017.

For Thielen, the 2024 season will prove even more enticing with a very familiar face joining the division in Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins, who was the 11-year wideout’s distributor for nine years in Minnesota.

“Indeed, I’m not thrilled about competing against him twice a year considering his exceptional football skills,” stated Thielen. “He excels in studying and understanding the defense, thus offering the team the best chance to win games. I’m not eager about that part, yet, I am anticipating our biannual encounters. In the offseason, we’ll be a few hours’ drive away and can enjoy some golf. So, it’s genuinely exciting and I’m thrilled for his new beginning. He’s contributed immensely to the Vikings organization. I wish he could have stayed longer, and same goes for me, but that’s not the nature of this sport. I’m simply eager to see him embark on this new journey and perform at his best.”