By Cameron Lee
August 27, 2025
Photo: Alex Cason / CLTure
The Panthers are trading veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen, along with conditional picks (2026 seventh-round pick and a fifth-round selection in 2027), to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick.
Coming just a day after teams trimmed their rosters to 53 players, the move could open a spot for South Carolina native Hunter Renfrow, who signed with the Panthers in April after missing an entire season due to ulcerative colitis. A star and two-time national champion at Clemson, Renfrow was drafted by the Raiders in the fifth round in 2019 and went on to become a Pro Bowler in 2021, recording 103 catches for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns.
Carolina’s wide receiver room looks much improved after drafting Tetairoa McMillan and Jimmy Horn Jr., along with the emergence of third-year undrafted receiver Brycen Tremaine, who earned a roster spot after an impressive training camp. They also have 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette, veteran and Canales favorite David Moore, and last season’s standout undrafted free agent Jalen Coker. If Renfrow returns, the Panthers will have seven receivers available for the season opener against Jacksonville.
Thielen provided a much-needed veteran presence after signing a three-year, $25 million contract in 2023. He recorded 103 catches for 1,014 yards in his first season and followed with 48 catches for 615 yards in 10 games in 2024.
Off the field, Thielen made a significant impact in the community, helping to renovate the weight rooms at Harding and Mallard Creek High Schools while also hosting charity events for Crisis Assistance Ministry. He was the Panthers’ 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee.
Thielen will return to his home state and the team that first signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2013, where he went on to become a two-time Pro Bowler (2017, 2018).
Update (8/27): The Panthers have claimed wide receiver Dalevon Campbell from the Chargers and cornerback Damarri Mathis from the Broncos off waivers.
The Panthers open the 2025 season on Sunday, September 7, at 1:00 p.m. against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. The home opener will be on September 21 against division rival Atlanta Falcons. Check out the complete 2025 Panthers schedule here.
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