Analyst floats Olympic future for Carolina Panthers vet after retirement

Future Olympian Adam Thielen? One insider thinks so.

Sep 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) takes the field against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Adam Thielen is not long for the NFL. The Carolina Panthers wide receiver considered retirement after the end of last season. With one more year left on his contract, it would be a bit of a surprise to see him suit up next season. He's 34 years old now, and he's been in the NFL for a long time.

When he's done playing, he will probably do what most retired athletes do: take up golf and move into a coach or analyst role for their sport. One NFL insider has a different idea for the Panthers wide receiver, though.

With the NFL allowing players to play Olympic flag football in 2028, all the talk is about which stars might be good for the team to try and win gold. The Panthers don't really have anyone in that conversation, but Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon thinks that could be what Thielen's post-NFL life is.

He listed several retired or soon-to-be retired players who could transition, and Thielen was one of them. "Here’s your short-to-intermediate possession guy but with more speed than the non-traditional Hill and the tight end Kelce. Thielen is 34 now and coming off an effective five-touchdown campaign, but there’s a good chance he walks away in the next couple of years," Gagnon said.

Thielen could be an excellent flag football player. Will he join the team? There's no telling. But Gagnon believes he'd make a fine veteran addition to Team USA alongside Travis Kelce, Taysom Hill, Russell Wilson, Raheem Mostert, and others who are likely to hang it up before the 2028 Olympics.

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