Adam Thielen has bold prediction about Panthers

Nov 16, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) looks on in the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports

Adam Thielen has a bold prediction about the Carolina Panthers.

Thielen on Sunday agreed to sign a three-year deal with the Panthers. Carolina has the No. 1 pick in the draft and they signed Andy Dalton at quarterback. They went 7-10 last season and still seem to be far away from being a contender, but that’s not how Thielen feels.

Thielen joined “The Pat McAfee Show” and talked about choosing to sign with Carolina. The veteran receiver said that at first his focus in free agency was to sign with a Super Bowl contender. He didn’t initially regard Carolina in that way, but they changed his mind.

“I wanted to go somewhere that I felt like I had an opportunity to win a Super Bowl. And when I went there … I felt like Carolina was the place to do that. I feel like there is a real chance to win a Super Bowl, and that gets me so excited,” Thielen said.

That’s pretty bold of Thielen to say that he thinks the Panthers have a real chance of winning a Super Bowl when they seem so far away. But you need new players, new coaches and a new attitude in order to make something like that happen, and the Panthers seem to have it.

Thielen said the presence of Dalton helped attract him, as well as the signings of Miles Sanders and Hayden Hurst.

“I couldn’t be more excited,” Thielen said of joining Carolina.

An undrafted player out of Minnesota State, Thielen became a big weapon with the Vikings. He made consecutive Pro Bowls in 2017-2018 and has caught 30 touchdowns over the last three seasons.

Carolina is betting that Thielen will be a big target for their new quarterback.