ESPN analyst would 'hate' to see Bryce Young lose Panthers' WR1 Adam Thielen

Though nothing is official yet, there is a good chance the Carolina Panthers will end up trading Adam Thielen, sending him back to the Minnesota Vikings. The two sides have been engaged in talks throughout the weekend, though they're still trying to work something out.

If and when that happens, the Panthers would be trading their de facto WR1. It is expected that Tetairoa McMillan will be the WR1 sooner rather than later, but for now, Thielen has been and still is the top dog. He's been so good and reliable that one former NFL QB really doesn't love the idea of the Panthers shipping out such a good piece for Bryce Young.

Dan Orlovsky not on board with Adam Thielen trade

The Minnesota Vikings made a trade on Sunday morning, adding an extra pick that many believe could possibly be used as extra ammunition to get the Adam Thielen deal done. Dan Orlovsky, a former QB turned analyst on ESPN, isn't a fan of the idea.

Would hate for Bryce to lose Adam. https://t.co/EThSBXlWFt
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) August 24, 2025

In response to speculation that Minnesota's trade activity was to get the Thielen deal done, he said, "Would hate for Bryce to lose Adam." The Panthers do have a glut of wide receivers, and some good players might end up cut as the odd men out.

However, by trading Thielen, they at least open up one spot for someone who otherwise might not have made it. On the other hand, it has been clear that Young and Thielen have good chemistry, so losing Thielen would be detrimental ahead of a huge third season for the QB.

At the same time, the Panthers do have the depth to absorb such a loss better this year. They'd still have a WR trio of Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, and Jalen Coker, with guys like Jimmy Horn Jr., Hunter Renfrow, and Brycen Tremayne backing them up.

Losing Thielen would, in Orlovsky's eyes, be a bad idea, but one can easily see why the Panthers are entertaining it and trying to get the most from Minnesota in the process. The Vikings are desperate, and the Panthers have no incentive to move their top weapon right now.

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