4 Carolina Panthers players who could potentially regress in 2024

Adam Thielen - Carolina Panthers WR

Adam Thielen had to do much more than originally anticipated for the Carolina Panthers last season. Thankfully, it was a challenge he was more than ready for.

The veteran wide receiver came to the franchise after being sold dreams of playoff contention by general manager Scott Fitterer and head coach Frank Reich. It didn't take long for Thielen to realize that wasn't going to happen. He was thrust into the No. 1 spot and became Bryce Young's go-to target as the only player capable of creating separation consistently.

Carolina's passing attack would have been abysmal without Thielen's influence. He remained professional as all around him crumbled, going over 1,000 receiving yards and coming up with plenty of notable highlights along the way.

Thielen murmured that his future might lie away from Cartolina this offseason given he doesn't have many years left. Dave Canales and Dan Morgan convinced the wideout to stay the course, improving options in the passing game and fortifying the offensive line to provide Young with more time in the pocket.

This is great news for the Panthers. Nobody will be happier than Thielen, but his production could take a step back as a result.

It doesn't have anything to do with Thielen's talent. However, having more legitimate mouths to feed in the passing game and Canales' intent to run the football heavily mean his numbers could suffer. But if the Panthers show signs of life, nobody will be complaining too much.

Thielen admitted that last season's vast underachievement was a steep learning curve for everyone, himself included. There's hope the Panthers can right some wrongs this time around.

The former undrafted free agent might not get force-fed the football in 2024. But that doesn't mean Thielen cannot make a significant impression from a lesser role as a possession guy over short-to-intermediate routes. That's the player's ideal role heading into his career twilight.