Who Should I Start? Jordan Matthews or Adam Thielen

Tuesday, November 12, 2:12 PM

The Carolina Panthers are releasing wide receiver Cam Johnson and tight end Jordan Matthews on Tuesday, according to NFL.com. The team also activated veteran wideout Adam Thielen from Injured Reserve. Johnson went unselected in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Northwestern and has spent time on the Cowboys and Panthers practice squad. Matthews, who began his career as a wide receiver out of Vanderbilt in 2014, has been with Carolina since 2023, but he only played in one game for the organization. These moves do not have any fantasy football impact.

Monday, January 6, 3:37 PM

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen said that he will go through his normal process and evaluate whether he wants to continue his playing career this offseason. Thielen said he's leaning in a certain direction, "but I'm not going to tell you what that is." If the Panthers choose to do so, they can cut the 34-year-old with only a $5 million dead salary cap hit to get out of the final year of his deal. He missed time in 2024 due to a hamstring injury that landed him on Injured Reserve, but Thielen was productive when healthy as quarterback Bryce Young's favorite target, catching 48 passes on 62 targets for 615 yards and five touchdowns in 10 starts. Staying in Carolina is the likely outcome if Thielen chooses to play another season. His chemistry with Young would give him a solid fantasy floor as a flex, depending on what the rest of the WR room looks like in 2025.