Adam Thielen issues rallying cry to Carolina Panthers' teammates before camp

Adam Thielen got more than he bargained for when he joined the Carolina Panthers last season. Unfortunately, that wasn't a good thing.

The wide receiver was sold dreams of NFC South title contention and postseason football by those in power. It turned out to be the complete opposite, but Thielen was one of the few to emerge from the campaign with credit after becoming quarterback Bryce Young's only trusted target in the passing game.

Thielen gained over 1,000 receiving yards, but the Panthers won two games. Many thought his future might lie away from the franchise this offseason. The influx of fresh faces and the ambitions of head coach Dave Canales was enough for the wideout to stick around.

Adam Thielen calls on Carolina Panthers teammates to stay focused

The former undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State believes the Panthers are laying stabler foundations for a brighter future based on comments via the team's website. Thielen also issued a rallying cry to keep this newfound positivity going over Carolina's upcoming training camp.

"I think I talk to the young guys about this all the time, is no matter who you are, no matter how old you are, no matter how many years you've been in the league, you have something to prove. And you have to have that mindset every single day, whether it's OTAs when no one's watching other than the coaches, or on Sundays when 60,000 people are watching, you have to have that same mindset that you're going to prove that you can play at a high level. I think that we are setting ourselves up to have success. Now, does that mean that we're going to have success on Day 1 or Week 10 or whatever? I don't know. But I will say that in my opinion, you always have to have the opportunity to have success. You have to have the preparation; you have to be set up to have success. And I feel like that's what we're doing right now."

- Adam Thielen via Panthers.com

Thielen doesn't have many years left. He won't want to waste them on a basement dweller. If he can set the tone and help implement the correct mindset across this young roster, the wideout's legacy will live on long after he hangs up his cleats.

The Panthers also got Thielen some extra help, which cannot be anything other than positive. Diontae Johnson joined via trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers. He's one of the slickest route-runners around and comes into the franchise with a big chip on his shoulder in a contract year.

Carolina also secured the services of Xavier Legette at No. 32 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. This should add a much-needed element of explosiveness that was sorely lacking last time around. These additions mean Thielen can focus his attention on working from the slot and providing Young with a dependable underneath pass-catcher over short to intermediate routes.

Thielen's presence on and off the field will be important to any success that comes Carolina's way. His target share might decrease, but that's not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination. It might even free up some extra space for the two-time Pro Bowler along the way.

The Detroit Lakes High School product holds himself to high standards and wants the same for his teammates. Thielen is an example to follow. Hopefully, it can have a positive impact when the real action commences.