The Carolina Panthers made the tough decision to move on from star wide receiver Adam Thielen this week, trading the veteran to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for draft capital.
Now, head coach Dave Canales is revealing some of the details of how everything went down, via the Panthers’ official team website.
“I appreciate that about him,” Canales said of Thielen showing up to the Panthers’ facilities early, even though a trade felt imminent. “For me, it was like he just couldn’t wait to get back on the field, and he really kept it professional with me, as far as just like, I play for you. I play for the Panthers, and so that’s the approach he really took with me, and so that’s the approach I took with him.”
After officially being alerted of the trade, Thielen spent some time offering words of encouragement to Carolina’s other receivers.
“He was just, he’s really proud of us and he’s excited for us,” Jalen Coker revealed of Thielen’s messaging. “He’s really excited for us and wants us to do well this year.”
Thielen also stopped in to his former head coach’s office for one last conversation with Canales.
“He and I had a long conversation today,” Canales said. “It’s just, it’s about patience and it’s about the right thing being done, and I think we come away with this and all of us, the Vikings, Adam, ourselves, I think we all come away with this thing feeling like we’re in a good spot.”
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.