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Running it back

Thielen wants to play one more year

Adam Thielen isn’t ready to hang up his cleats. He told a reporter in Orlando that he’s hoping to come back and play in 2025.

“Yeah, I think I still have some more football in me,” said Thielen, as quoted by Ben Nagle of Daily Mail Sport. “We’ll see how that plays out in the next few weeks.”

Thielen will be 35 in August, but he was productive late last year. After returning from IR, he caught 17 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown in back-to-back games against the Bucs and Eagles, then closed the season with 5 catches in four straight games, including 3 TDs. Historically, he’s been good in the red zone.

Staying healthy could be an issue. He missed seven games last year with a hamstring injury, and he missed 11 games in the 2019-21 seasons.

If the Panthers want him, Thielen presumably would be more of a contributor rather than a featured part of the offense.

There haven’t been many successful 35-year-old receivers. In the 32-team era, only 17 wide receivers who were at least 35 have finished with top-30 numbers, with another eight ranking in the top 50. That’s using PPR scoring.

35-YEAR-OLD RECEIVERS WITH TOP-50 NUMBERS
YearPlayerAgeRecYdsTDPPRRk
2002Jerry Rice, Oak.40921,2117257.110
2008Terrell Owens, Dall.35691,05210237.511
2005Rod Smith, Den.35851,1056232.213
2009Derrick Mason, Balt.35731,0287218.017
2005Keenan McCardell, S.D.35709179216.317
2010Terrell Owens, Cin.37729839224.317
2014Steve Smith, Balt.35791,0656221.518
2004Jimmy Smith, Jac.35741,1726227.219
2006Joey Galloway, T.B.35621,0577210.621
2005Jimmy Smith, Jac.36701,0236208.321
2018Larry Fitzgerald, Ari.35697346186.026
2007Joey Galloway, T.B.36571,0146194.526
2009Terrell Owens, Buff.36558295179.327
2008Muhsin Muhammad, Car.35659235187.328
2010Derrick Mason, Balt.36618027183.228
2002Tim Brown, Oak.36819302187.928
2003Jerry Rice, Oak.41638692161.930
2008Isaac Bruce, S.F.36618357186.231
2019Larry Fitzgerald, Ari.36758044179.435
2008Marvin Harrison, Ind.36606365153.636
2016Steve Smith, Balt.37707995183.937
2015Anquan Boldin, S.F.35697894171.940
2007Isaac Bruce, St.L.35557334151.942
2016Anquan Boldin, Det.36675848173.442
2014Reggie Wayne, Ind.36647792153.950

—Ian Allan

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