USA Today’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Minnesota Vikings (former Carolina Panthers) wide receiver Adam Thielen about his participation in the American Century Championship, player mentorship, and his thoughts on quarterback Bryce Young’s improvement from the matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs to the end of the 2024 season.
Interview Articles:
https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/chiefs/2025/06/27/carolina-panthers-adam-thielen-praises-bryce-youngs-performance-last-season-vs-kansas-city-chiefs/84326644007/
https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/chiefs/2025/06/26/adam-thielen-shares-a-similar-mindset-with-chiefs-star-on-mentorship/84326057007/
https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/chiefs/2025/06/25/carolina-panthers-wr-adam-thielen-reflects-on-last-seasons-loss-to-the-kansas-city-chiefs/84325873007/
#nfl #chiefs #kansascitychiefs #chiefskingdom #KansasCity #interview #interview #2025 #footballshorts #shorts #football #journalism #journalist #subscribe #patrickmahomes #andyreid #celebrity #movies #chiefsfans #sports #superbowl #touchdown #probowl #TravisKelce #adamthielen #carolinapanthers #carolina #panthers #bryceyoung #xavierlegette #widereceiver #mentor #mentorship #golf #americancentury #minnesotavikings #minnesota #vikings #skol
Follow Ed Easton Jr.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/edeastonjr/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/edeastonjr
BlueSky: edeastonjr.bsky.social
Online Portfolio: http://edeastonjr.com
Once again, thank you for taking the time to speak with me. My name is Ed Houston Jr. from USA Today’s Touchdown Wire. Um, you know, obviously we’re looking forward to the big America Century Championship and you going out there on the green again. Uh, I just want to start off just um asking like what do you what do you enjoy most about the event doing it every year? Yeah, I mean there’s so much to uh kind of go off that really because it’s just there’s so many things that really make it a extremely special event. But I would say for me um it’s the kind of the fraternity almost that becomes created from the American Century Championship of you know the same guys, girls um who show up to the event and have that competitive spirit. Everybody that’s there. going there to win and are super competitive. We’re at the top level of whether it was their sport or their industry and in the film world or or music. And so it just becomes this really cool competitive environment and a really cool chance to catch up with people that you’d really never cross paths with anywhere else. So, um it it’s it’s a great event. And then for me, I love to play golf. So that competitive golf of that grind of 18 holes for me is is really cool and it really helps me with my mental mental side of of of what I do for my real job. Yeah, definitely. And do you have a like a participant or somebody that you always look forward to competing against that you have maybe like a a little rivalry on the low that you guys have going on? I think it it it’s cool because there’s probably like 15 20 people that you know really have a chance of winning that event. Um so it’s kind of like you know you kind of look to the guys that are similar similar um level of of golfer as you and you kind of like compete internally and I think they have the same the same motivation of like all right like I know these guys are good, these girls are good um and and I want to beat them. So, it’s not necessarily one person. It’s really like a kind of group of people that you know are around the same skill level and and you’re like, “All right, I’m going to I’m going to work a little bit harder this this uh summer to grind and and figure out my game so I can compete against those people.” I hear that. And do you have a favorite memory so far from your time being there, whether it was, you know, you playing or watching someone else do something that you’re always going to remember? I mean, honestly, for me, it’s just the it’s just the event in general. Um, the whole week, you know, not necessarily just the golf, but the events. Um, being in Lake Tahoe, um, American Century, just all the events that they put on. Um, and it’s just it’s just an incredible atmosphere. Um, you know, being able to go on the lake and enjoy that part of it. Um, and then and then you know the kind of in the weekend enjoying that competitive aspect like I said that competitive golf that’s like what I really love to do. Um, so yeah, I think it’s just the whole thing in general. There’s probably not just one moment. I think my wife and I always talk about it’s really probably one of our favorite weeks of the entire year and something that we look forward to as soon as we get that invite um, and immediately say yes. So um, excited to be back out there. Sounds good. And you know, obviously I got to talk some football with you, man. Like the season, well, everybody’s mostly in mini camps right now, but uh I got to ask for you. I’m heading into your 12th NFL season. Does your mindset change a little bit or do you come in with the same preparation as you did probably year one? Yeah, I try to make sure that my mindset doesn’t change to be honest. Like making sure that it’s like that same hungry undrafted kid trying to make the team. um really focusing on now probably the biggest difference would be focusing on like preparation and my body making sure that my body is feeling as good as it possibly can and in good shape uh so I can withstand a season um and be there to help and support my team. Uh but yeah, not not much mentally changes uh the older you get. You really try to fall back on all right, how did I how did I um approach the game when I was a young player and I want to have that same approach. um that has helped me have success. Definitely. And obviously the Carolina Panthers um you guys missed out on the postseason last year, but I always felt like it was a little misleading in terms of you guys record just because of how close the games you played and um in particular, you guys played against the uh two Super Bowl competitors last year with the uh Eagles and the Chiefs and it came down to the wire. What do you feel like that said about your team? Is there something you take away from that knowing that you guys pushed the two Super Bowl competitors to the limit? Yeah, I think it just gives gives us confidence going into this year that hey, you know, we didn’t we didn’t win those games. And at the end of the day, there’s no, you know, uh a loss is a loss. Like you you’re not getting out anything out of a loss. But but I will say I think it gives you confidence going into this year to say, “Hey, we’re we were right there.” and the pieces that we’ve added, the leadership roles that have been replaced and and people just strong leaders um have been brought into the facility. Um and then paired with just the players that we’ve added in free agency, the players that we’ve added in in the draft, um I feel like there was a really precise and um you know, thoughtout plan this year. And so that I think that just gives us confidence that we were right there. We added pieces. Um, we brought in great leadership. Um, let’s see what happens. No, definitely. And obviously, um, working with, uh, Bryce Young, how have you felt like his development and everything has been going, especially toward the end of last year, it seemed like he started to pick things up. Um, is was there anything from your point of view that said, “Okay, I I think he’s adjusting better and um, a lot of like the noise and everything, you guys are able to like, you know, get that out of the building and he just seems like ready to go. Yeah, definitely. I think I think just how last year went for him, the kind of the ups and downs um and finishing on, you know, a high note the last four, five, six weeks. Um I think I think coming into this year, he just really has been able to kind of um understand what it takes to play at a high level in this league and what it what it takes more importantly what it takes for him at personally to be at his very best and to help this team win games. Um, I think it takes a little bit of time as an athlete, um, when you get to the highest level to kind of figure out what that looks like. Everyone thinks like, oh, just work hard, it’ll play itself out. But everyone kind of has to figure out what helps them personally play at a high level and then what does that look like and how it helps the team, especially in a leadership position like a quarterback, everyone’s looking to you. Everyone’s kind of you can’t just necessarily, as he would probably tell you, you can’t just necessarily be yourself. uh you kind of got to be what’s best for the team. Um and I think he really took that on. Um really helped us as a team take a take a step and you can see that confidence and and what what he kind of brought to the team carry over to the OTAAS and and mini camp and excited to see what that looks like this year. Definitely looking forward to that. And you have obviously you were just talking about having new additions to the team. Um adding uh McMillan in the first round of the draft. Um just also having just a young core receivers around you. Are you like how do you feel just about being the mentor in the room and obviously the veteran in the room? Um knowing that you have so much young um receivers around you, young talent. Yeah, it’s something you know a part of the game that I really enjoy. It’s something that I’ve really always really enjoyed even going back to college as a you know junior a senior that you kind of just really that I really enjoyed uh being that mentor being that show you know how to work how to take care of your body how to treat people in the building how to what kind of attitude do you have in the good and the bad and really just trying to challenge myself in those areas especially the last few years of of okay I always say I want to be a leader now what does that look like? And how um how are you doing when things aren’t going well as a leader? It’s easy to be a leader when things are going well uh when you’re winning games, when you’re playing well individually. Um but what does that look like when things are tough individually or tough as a team and what kind of leader are you there? So really challenged myself the last few years. Um has really helped my mindset going into this year um with a lot of young with a lot of young talent and guys that are young that are going to have to make a huge impact for us. So, uh, excited about that. But at the end of the day, I also, um, got to play at a high level and I got to help this team win games. Um, and so it’s not just all mentor role. U, I’m not a coach. Uh, but, um, but yes, the the balance is is definitely there and I’m excited about that role. Definitely. Um, Adam, thank you so much for your time, man. I really appreciate it. Looking forward to seeing you on the green and, uh, doing well at the American Century Championship. All right, man. Thank you.
