Rock bottom may not even exist for the Carolina Panthers anymore. But wherever they are right now, they’re very unlikely to come out of it.
The team moved to 1-6 this past Sunday after eating a 40-7 loss courtesy of a Marcus Mariota-led Washington Commanders squad. Their offense is back in a funk and seemingly regressing under veteran quarterback Andy Dalton while their defense has allowed a ridiculous 34.7 points per game—nearly seven more than the next closest unit.
So, uh, it may be safe to say that the playoffs are a long shot, no?
Now, it might be time to begin a fire sale—a decision that could help kickstart the future a bit. And if they do, the moves could start with wide receivers Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen.
President of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan traded for Johnson in the offseason to give the offense (namely, second-year quarterback Bryce Young) a legitimate No. 1 option through the air. Although he’s come through with some quality production so far, there have been a few underwhelming moments from the 28-year-old.
According to Pro Football Reference, Johnson is on pace for 73 catches, 867 yards and seven touchdowns—a less-than-stellar line for a former Pro Bowler who was supposed to be the center of the passing attack. He also didn’t put his best foot forward on Sunday, giving up on a route that led to an interception and supplying a not-so-inspiring account of the outing at his locker afterwards.
Carolina has three options for Johnson, who is on the final year of his contract. They can trade him, they can keep him for the remainder of the season and have him hit free agency or they can sign him to an extension.
This, of course, is something that is probably being discussed by Morgan and executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis. They must decide whether or not Johnson is a part of their plans for 2025 and beyond.
As for Thielen, the veteran playmaker isn’t getting any younger—and has already been subject of trade rumors as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.
The 34-year-old is still a quality route runner with great hands, but is likely a No. 3 or No. 4 option in a good NFL offense right now. Moving on from Thielen, who may want to use his final few seasons for a contender, could be beneficial to both parties—as long as his recovery doesn’t complicate his value.
The chances of Johnson and Thielen being moved have increased since last week, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if both were moved by the Nov. 5 deadline. Until then, their top two receivers will remain in the rumor mill.
