Sometimes you’re the hunter, and sometimes you’re the prey. Just ask Adam Thielen, who found himself on the wrong end of a Chiefs‘ pass last offseason. The veteran wideout, known for his sure hands and crisp routes, was left catching nothing but air when he tried to join the Kansas City juggernaut.

“Well, I was trying to go there and they didn’t want me,” Thielen recently confessed to Starcade Media. “So, you know, I’ll just try to show them what I got.” It seems the Chiefs’ kingdom wasn’t ready for this former Minnesota miracle worker.

The Carolina Panthers, desperately seeking a reliable target for their rookie quarterback, Bryce Young, pounced on the opportunity. Thielen signed a three-year, $25 million deal with $14 million guaranteed, proving that one man’s unwanted receiver is another’s prized possession.

The Panthers gained from the Chiefs’ defeat. Despite the Panthers’ offensive struggles, Thielen put up numbers that would even have made most fantasy football managers drool. He caught 103 passes for 1014 yards and four touchdowns recording his second 100 catch season of his career. Not bad for a 33-year-old playing for what is called the NFL’s worst team?

Thielen’s journey to this point has been anything but ordinary. He’s emerged as one of the best-undrafted signings in the 21st century, amassing an impressive 7,696 yards and 59 touchdowns over his career. But don’t think for a second that his past accomplishments make him complacent.

“I think I talk to the young guys about this all the time, is no matter who you are, no matter how old you are, no matter how many years you’ve been in the league, you have something to prove, “ Thielen shared to Panthers official site. This mindset has kept him sharp whether he is out running routes or teeing off at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship Tournament at Lake Tahoe.

Meanwhile, in Mahomes magic and barbecue land, the Chiefs’ receiving corps looked more like a carousel than a well-oiled machine. Patrick Mahomes averaged only 7.7 yards per attempt when targeting his wide receivers during this season which was a personal low. It is like watching Superman trying to jump over a parking meter!

Chiefs bring in Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to bolster Patrick Mahomes’ receiving corps

Jump forward to the offseason and it appears that the Chiefs have finally woken up and realized that they need some big names in their wide receiver room. In comes Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, signed to a $11 million one-year contract with $7 million guaranteed. It is a cheap price for what could be a blockbusting display.

His coming into Kansas City goes together with Rashee Rice’s off-field blights and Marquez Valdes-Scantling being shown the door. Although Brown’s numbers are not suggestive of a true number-one receiver (averaging nearly 700 receiving yards over the past couple of seasons), his pace and ability to get open could serve as perfect complements to Mahomes’ deep ball game.

The Chiefs are banking on Brown, alongside Rice, rookie speedster Xavier Worthy, and the returning Mecole Hardman, to help Mahomes recapture his 2022 form. Last season, the two-time MVP’s arm talent was somewhat muzzled by the lack of reliable targets downfield. As Thielen prepares for his second act in Carolina, he’s not dwelling on what could have been in Kansas City. “Well, we’re in the NFL. So there’s never normal,” he cracked. “But yeah, I mean, I’ve had what, nine offensive coordinators in 11 years? So you just adjust.”

On November 24th at 23:30 IST, Bank of America Stadium Charlotte will host the Panthers against the Chiefs. It is a date that has probably been circled on Thielen’s calendar, underlined, and maybe even highlighted for good measure. However, with new additions Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette joining the Panthers’ receivers corp, his role may change but his determination stays the same.

As for Thielen and the Chiefs? Well, they’ll always have that brief, unrequited courtship to remember. And who knows? Maybe someday, they’ll look back on all this and laugh. Or at least exchange awkward nods from across the field.