Be it preparing food or building a roster in the NFL, slow cooking brings savory and more interesting. The Carolina Panthers are similarly approaching this off-season! We all know that the young quarterback, Bryce Young, has a lot more on his shoulders this time. However, he still needs some key weapons in the team to help them advance their scoreboard in 2025. Hence, they made a new addition!

According to ESPN Senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler on X, “Adam Thielen is set to return for a 12th NFL season, finalizing a revised contract with the #Panthers, per sources.” The 34-year-old veteran wide receiver “looks to add to his 8,311 yards and 64 touchdowns.” His re-entry into the team will help Bryce Young develop his game as well as establish a great connection on the field.

In January this year, Adam Thielen showed his interest in coming back in 2025. The 34-year-old stated, “I think I still have some more football in me. We’ll see how that plays out in the next few weeks.” He believed that he still has some more football left in him. Probably, that’s the reason why Bryce Young’s Panthers have moved forward with him once again.

According to The Athletic’s Joe Person, Carolina reworked Thielen’s deal, giving him a well-deserved pay bump for everything he’s given to the team. Even with the adjustment, he’s still heading into the final year of his three-year, $25 million contract signed in 2023. Originally, he was set to make $6.75 million, including a $1.5 million roster bonus kicking in this Saturday. But we can’t forget that retirement was on his mind after the 2024 season.

At 34 years old, with a hamstring injury that cost him seven games, it would’ve made sense. But Thielen isn’t wired that way. Even after the setback, he put up 48 catches, 615 yards, and five touchdowns – his best per-catch average since 2020. However, what actually fueled him to come back was Bryce Young.

“What has enticed me to want to play again is just the progression, the leadership, the type of things that they’re doing to try to create a winning culture. I really believe in what they’re doing. So there’s a lot to look forward to, especially with Bryce [Young] and his progression. And then, you know, just being able to add some pieces and see what happens.” Adam Thielen is clear that with Young and some more key pieces in the team, the Panthers can come out strong. So, there is no point in missing a chance to play once again.

And now that we are talking about the additions, how can we forget the new one in Bryce Young’s team?

Carolina signed Rico Dowdle for Bryce Young!

The Cowboys have waved goodbye to the legendary defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. This has hurt many including CeeDee Lamb, who expressed his emotions on a live stream. After that news, now another domino has fallen for the America’s Team. And this time, it’s Rico Dowdle.

Yes, you heard it right! Bryce Young’s Panthers have signed Rico Dowdle from Dallas. He will be projected to keep the pressure off from the quarterback, as the man is signed for a one-year deal worth up to $6.5 million. His contract includes $3 million in guarantee.

Rico Dowdle’s journey is a story of perseverance. Undrafted in 2020, overlooked for years, and always playing in someone else’s shadow. But in 2024, he changed everything. He didn’t just step up – he made history, becoming the first undrafted Cowboys player to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season.

For years, he watched from the sidelines as Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard took the spotlight. When Dallas tried a committee approach last season, it failed. But Dowdle? He thrived. His performances were impossible to ignore, forcing the Cowboys to abandon the rotation and trust him as their lead back.

Now, for the first time, he headed into free agency. So, he has one thing to prove – last season wasn’t a fluke. Bryce Young and the team believes in him, and now that they gave him a chance, Dowdle is ready to carry the load.