Andy Dalton

When the Panthers benched Bryce Young after Week 2, rumors about a 2025 separation swirled. The team had bailed on a No. 1 overall pick after 17 starts, leading to trade offers coming in before the deadline. Plenty has changed over the past two months. Andy Dalton sustaining minor injuries in a car accident led […]

With that, Thielen ends the season with 48 catches for 615 yards over ten games as the de facto No. 1 wideout for Bryce Young and Andy Dalton. The wily veteran had a receiving success rate of 59 percent in 2024, well above his career rate, and his 13.5 yards per catch ranks among the highest marks of his long NFL career. He had six games with at least five receptions in the run-first Carolina offense. Entering his age-35 season, Thielen could find his way out of Carolina if the team eats a $5 million salary cap hit this offseason. If he returns to the Panthers, Thielen could once again be the team's top pass catcher unless they upgrade at receiver in the draft or during free agency.

Young cooked in this one, facing very little pressure and hitting pass catchers in stride throughout. It was only the fourth time this season Young has thrown multiple touchdowns, as Carolina coaches continue putting more trust in the second-year QB. Young connected with David Moore, Miles Sanders, and Tommy Tremble for his passing scores, and found pay dirt twice on red zone scrambles -- an part of his game that has emerged over the past month. Young will end his second season with 15 touchdown passes over 11 starts, adding six scores on the ground. Young's final five starts of the season were likely enough for the Panthers to commit to him as their 2025 starter. That was not at all guaranteed as recently as October, when head coach Dave Canales had no choice but to bench Young for Andy Dalton after a miserable start to the year. Young over the past month has shown he can be, at worst, a game manager with usable mobility.