Adam Thielen’s placement on IR means more targets for Panthers’ Xavier Legette

Some unfortunate news on the Panthers' injury front.

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Just when the vibe started to change in the Carolinas, the Panthers received some bad news regarding one of their top offensive players. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported Tuesday afternoon that veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen will be placed on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury that he suffered during the win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday

Source: The #Panthers are placing WR Adam Thielen on Injured Reserve because of the hamstring injury he suffered on Sunday. But Thielen is expected back sooner rather than later. pic.twitter.com/4YQ2VcQEsR

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 24, 2024

In three games so far this season, the 34-year-old has caught eight passes for a total of 109 yards and a touchdown. With Thielen set to miss a handful of games, this will open the door for rookie Xavier Legette to shine and become more of a go-to target for Andy Dalton. Legette reeled in two passes for 42 yards on Sunday, including a 35-yard play where he split the two backers in zone coverage and sprinted to get outside the numbers and turn upfield down the sideline before getting knocked out of bounds at around the 10.

Xavier Legette is going to be a problem for the league pic.twitter.com/MJI2BZnvUP

— =͟͟͞Blande (@JustBlande) September 23, 2024

The injury to Thielen will also mean Dalton will lean heavily on Diontae Johnson, who had a career day against Las Vegas with eight catches for 122 yards and a touchdown. He becomes the unquestioned primary option in the offense.

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