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Adam Thielen Defends Bryce Young After Another Lopsided Panthers Loss
Adam Thielen is defending his quarterback.
The veteran wide receiver offered a defense for Bryce Young after the Carolina Panthers were hammered by the Los Angeles Chargers 26–3 on Sunday. Young was awful on the day, completing 18-of-26 passes for 84 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception, and was sacked twice. Fans were heavily critical of his performance.
Thielen defended Young after the game, saying, "I love Bryce to death, man. He works his butt off. He's a great player. This is not a Bryce Young issue. This is an offensive team issue. We are all in this together. I know what football is, that's why I love this game with everything I have, because it is the greatest team game. It’s not about an individual."
Adam Thielen postgame on the Panthers offense: "I love Bryce to death, man. He works his butt off. He's a great player. This is not a Bryce Young issue. This is an offensive team issue. We are all in this together. I know what football is, that's why I love this game with… pic.twitter.com/Kn1RYvWwg0
— Ashley Stroehlein (@ashstro) September 15, 2024
Thielen is in his second season with Young as his quarterback and the first was successful statistically. In 2023, he caught 103 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. It was his third career 1,000-yard season. He knows Young as well as anyone on the field at this point.
It's nice Young's teammates are sticking up for him, but he needs to improve and fast. He's rapidly heading towards bust territory after two lackluster performances to start his second season.
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Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.