The Kansas City Chiefs might have been in a better position at the wide receiver spot with a bit more foresight.
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen competed this weekend at the American Century Championship, an annual celebrity golf tournament held in Lake Tahoe, Nev. At the event, Thielen briefly stopped to chat with reporters from Starcade Media, a Kansas City-based production. Thielen was asked about the Panthers’ upcoming matchup against the Chiefs next season and revealed that he wanted to sign with the Chiefs last offseason … but the interest wasn’t mutual.
“I was trying to go there, and they didn’t want me,” said Thielen of the Chiefs. “So I’ll just try to show them what I’ve got.”
#Panthers WR Adam Thielen tells us he wanted to go to Kansas City last offseason but that the #Chiefs didn't want him pic.twitter.com/Jm2J5weCBC
— Starcade Media (@StarcadeMediaKC) July 12, 2024
The 33-year-old Thielen, a two-time Pro Bowler and a one-time All-Pro, went on to sign with Carolina instead and thrived last year on an individual basis. Despite the shaky quarterback play of rookie Bryce Young, Thielen still had 103 catches for 1,017 yards and four TDs, starting in all 17 games.
As for the Chiefs, they did obviously win the Super Bowl last season without Thielen. But they are now looking very questionable at wide receiver given Rashee Rice’s legal troubles (which Rice could very well be suspended for), Kadarius Toney’s unreliability, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s departure for Buffalo. While Kansas City drafted WR Xavier Worthy in the first round and also signed a former 1,000-yard receiver in free agency, they still have to be asking themselves what could have been with the ever-steady Thielen.
