Bryce Young says Adam Thielen has been very helpful as a 'safety net' with Panthers

Every rookie needs a veteran. Luckily for Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young, he has veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen by his side. He doesn’t take the situation for granted.

“It’s super helpful having someone like Adam, who’s done it for a long time and had a lot of success, and he is a real pro. [He’s] super consistent, and he’s seen it all,” Young said. “For me as a young guy having a safety net like that where you know exactly where he’s gonna be, he understands the play… He’s always where he’s supposed to be, and that’s really important for me. It’s helped me a lot.”

It’s difficult to believe Young needs too much help. The Carolina Panthers selected the Alabama standout with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. While with the Crimson Tide, the 5-foot-10 quarterback became the only player in Alabama history to throw for 3,000+ yards in two seasons.

Additionally, Young finished second in program history for career passing yards (8,356) and passing touchdowns (80), earning the 2021 Heisman Trophy. Young’s praise isn’t a one-way street. In June, Thielen gave props to the rookie QB.

“There was so much talk about him, so there’s not a whole lot of surprise. For me, it’s probably just been his movement in the pocket. His ability to get the ball out on time, but do that in a way that not just like sitting in one stagnant spot,” Thielen said at the Panthers’ minicamp.

While Thielen’s route has been far different than Young’s, he’s achieved immense success. After going undrafted, Thielen was signed by the Minnesota Vikings, where he played for nine years. During his tenure, Thielen amassed 534 catches for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns. Thielen signed a three-year, $25 million deal with the Panthers in March.

In other words, Thielen knows what he’s talking about.

“Sometimes it can be easy in this time of the year, when you’re not getting hit, no pads on, nothing like that, to just sit there and no fear and just throw it around. But, you can tell [Young] practices like it’s a game. And, I’ve always been a firm believer that when you do that, it makes the games a lot easier, and that’s been really impressive,” Thielen said.

Young must continue to impress. Earlier this week, he struck a four-year, fully guaranteed $37.96 million contract with Panthers, including a nearly $24.6 million signing bonus. Watch Young and Thielen boast their chemistry when the Panthers begin their season on Sept. 10 against the Atlanta Falcons.