There is a new wide receiver hitting the waiver wire (and quite possibly free agency if he clears waivers) this week and one analyst thinks the New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers could all have interest.
That wide receiver is none other than Adam Thielen, who was waived by the Minnesota Vikings.
The reason for the move, the Vikings revealed, is Thielen wants to play on a team that gives him a larger role before he retires after 2025.
The Vikings haven't provided that for him, as Thielen has played on just 29% of snaps and has eight catches for 69 yards.
With Thielen set to be available, Bleacher Report's Timothy Rapp believes the Panthers, Raiders and Giants could take a swing on the 35-year-old.
If the two-time Pro Bowler is OK playing more of a mentor role (while still seeing a potential uptick in playing time), there are plenty of rebuilding teams like the Giants or Raiders who could use more playmakers at receiver.
And then there's the Panthers. Thielen had a fantastic 2023 season with the team (103 catches for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns) before injuries limited him to 10 games in 2024, though he still posted 48 catches for 615 yards and five scores.
Thielen will be subject to waivers first, which gives the Raiders and Giants a better chance to land him than the Panthers because they have much higher waiver spots.
However, if Thielen clears, he'll be free to sign with any team.
A two-time Pro Bowler who is on a one-year, $8.5 million contract, Thielen may not be the same player he once was, but he can still help out a contending team.
Part of the reason for Thielen's lackluster production is the fact that he's stuck behind Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor on the depth chart.
When he last had a big role in 2024, Theielen posted strong production as a member of the Panthers with 48 catches for 615 yards in 10 games.
As a result, it's safe to assume Thielen still has something left in the tank.
He's almost certainly looking to join a contender in what is now expected to be his final year in the NFL. Thus, it would be downright mean for the Giants and Raiders, two teams out of playoff contention, to claim him.
The Raiders definitely shouldn't and likely won't. After all, they need to give their young wideouts Dont'e Thornton and Jack Bech as many looks as possible during the rest of the season and Thielen would make that more difficult.
The Giants could use more help for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, who lost his No. 1 wideout, Malik Nabers, for the season.
If Thielen had to choose between the three, he would definitely go to the Panthers.
Carolina is surprisingly in the playoff hunt, as the team sits in second place in the NFC North and in the No. 10 spot in the conference playoff picture.
Plus, Thielen is already quite familiar with Carolina after he played there the two years prior before being traded to Minnesota during the offseason.
Ultimately, we think Thielen is going to get the respect of being allowed to clear waivers and pick his team.
The Panthers remain a realistic possibility, but we would rule out the Raiders and Giants, barring them claiming him off waivers, which we don't anticipate happening.
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