Former All-Pro WR Puts Chiefs on Notice After Being Rejected by KC

Getty Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen.

During the 2023 offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs were regularly linked to then-free agent wide receiver Adam Thielen as a potential destination for the veteran wideout. But nothing came to fruition between the two parties, and, according to Thielen, the interest in joining forces was only on his end.

“Well, I was trying to go there and they didn’t want me,” Thielen told Starcade Media while at the American Century Championship of the Chiefs’ lack of interest in him in 2023. “I’ll have to try to show them what I got [when we face each other].”

The video of Starcade Media’s brief interview with Thielen shows that it was nothing more than banter between the interviewer and interviewee. But it is worth noting that the Chiefs play the Panthers in Carolina on November 24. So, Thielen might have that game circled on his calendar as some added motivation to show he’s still a productive NFL receiver as he enters his age-34 season.

Adam Thielen: From Undrafted to Productive NFL WR

Thielen entered the NFL undrafted out of Minnesota State in 2013. Since then he has been a Cinderella story of sorts. He accumulated 534 receptions, 6,682 receiving yards and 55 touchdowns during his first nine NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He was also named second-team All-Pro and a two-time Pro Bowler in that timeframe.

During the 2023 offseason, Thielen took to free agency for the first time in his career and signed a three-year, $25 million contract with Carolina. As the No. 1 option in the Panthers’ passing game, Thielen came out of the gates red hot to start the 2023 regular season; he registered three 100-yard games over the first six games of the season. However, his production dipped over the remainder of the regular season; Thielen had just one game with over 75 receiving yards over the final 11 games.

Thielen’s dip in production was in part because he was in a very dysfunctional Carolina offense, but also because age is seemingly catching up to him.

Social Media Reacts to Adam Thielen’s Chiefs Comments

Users on X, formerly Twitter, reacted to Thielen saying the Chiefs didn’t want him.

“Would’ve been great next to Rashee Rice but they won anyways so it doesn’t matter that WR was their weak link,” one person commented.

“They didn’t want to sign Thielen because he doesn’t get arrested and isn’t a troublemaker. They like troublemakers Tyreek Hill, Rashee Rice, Kadarius Toney, Justyn Ross etc,” another person  wrote.

“We have so much receiver depth at this point we don’t necessarily need him but would’ve been nice to have a vet with solid hands,” someone else wrote.

“His last 2 years in Minnesota weren’t impressive so the Chiefs probably didn’t like the risk, and he probably asked 3 years which was never going to happen,” another commenter wrote.

“Chiefs can show them what a real QB looks like,” wrote another. “His asking price was WAY to rich to fit under the salary cap last year. Guess he wasn’t missed to much, Chiefs did win a Super Bowl! LOL!”