The jury is still out about Bryce Young’s NFL chops. But according to his now-former teammate Adam Thielen, Young is going to make it.
Thielen opened up about his admiration for the embattled No. 1 overall pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2023 after the veteran wide receiver was traded to the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday.
Thielen left Minnesota and signed with Carolina after the 2022 season and had a huge first year with the Panthers. Thielen had 103 catches for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns in 2023 — three of his TDs came from Young.
But the Panthers traded the 35-year-old back to Minnesota for two draft picks in 2027. Thielen had 151 catches for 1,629 yards and nine touchdowns in 27 games with Carolina.
What Did Adam Thielen Say About Bryce Young?
Young is just 6-22 in 3o games and 28 starts for the Panthers, who of course picked him ahead of 2023 NFL Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud in that year’s draft. That has earned Young flack both from Panthers fans, and around the NFL.
But Thielen spoke of his admiration for Young amid the turmoil and gave his opinion of why the third-year QB is poised to break out this year.
“I will say this about Bryce, because he deserves the respect. He’s a great man. He’s a great leader, And he’s a great quarterback,” Thielen said, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. “You saw that at the end of last year. Just the stuff he had to go through, the adversity through his first two years in the league. You don’t wish that upon anybody.
Young, of course, relinquished his starting position for veteran Andy Dalton after the Panthers went 0-2. He did not start five straight games, Weeks 3-7, and only attempted nine passes in those games.
Yet, he earned praise from Thielen, and presumably the rest of his teammates, for how he battled back from that span. Young threw for 2,104 yards and had a 15-6 touchdown-to-interception rate while completing 61.8 percent of his passes over the final 10 games, helping Carolina win four games, with three coming in overtime.
“For him to handle that, it says a lot about his character, and who he is, and what kind of player he’s going to be in this league,” Thielen said.
Thielen also shared a window into his relationship with Young and how he helped the veteran remain enthusiastic into his 12th NFL season.
“So much respect for him,” Thielen said. “I guarantee you, I’m not here today without him — him trusting me, him giving me opportunities and believing in me to be able to still continue to play this game that I love.”
What Is Bryce Young’s Ceiling For 2025?
Young and the Panthers are a dark horse to be one of the most improved teams in 2025.
After their 1-7 start, Carolina played competitively in those final 10 games with Young at the helm, dropping a three-point game to the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs, a six-point game to the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and losing in OT to the NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If the Panthers had squeaked out each of those games they would have finished 8-9, potentially tied for second with the Atlanta Falcons rather than tied for the NFC South basement with the New Orleans Saints.
So Young and Co. are on the up and up, especially the quarterback who earned a 75 rating in Madden NFL 26. He has 87 speed, 84 agility, 88 conditioning, 89 injury, 76 awareness but just 54 strength.
Carolina opens its slate with a road game against the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday.
Adam Thielen Sends Strong Statement on Panthers QB Bryce Young After Trade