During a quick moment at the American Century Championship, Adam Thielen told Starcade Media that the Chiefs “didn’t want me” despite interest from his end. He wound up catching 103 passes for 1,014 yards for the Carolina Panthers as Kansas City led the NFL in drops (44), so this seems like a regretful decision by the two-time defending Super Bowl champs.
The Chiefs invested heavily into the position over the last several months, though having Thielen in the fold would provide a nice boost.
He’s considered to be one of the best route-runners in the league and his 5.1% drop rate would’ve been the lowest of any Chiefs receiver in 2023. Consider the fact that Thielen had a whopping 137 targets, 35 more Rashee Rice’s position-leading number, and it’s obvious Thielen would’ve been a welcome addition.
Things worked out well in the end in fairness, and Kansas City’s receivers should be significantly better than they were last year. Either way, having a reliable veteran like Thielen would’ve helped, not to mention the fact that we wouldn’t spend so much time wondering whether Kadarius Toney or Skyy Moore will have an impact this season.
Thielen is getting older and perhaps the salary demands were too much for the Chiefs. Whatever the case, Kansas City is lucky the decision didn’t come back to bite them in the end.
