Thielen (hamstring) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.
Thielen remains on injured reserve, but if he can maintain limited practice activity or upgrade to full activity at some point this week, he could be activated ahead of Sunday's game against the Saints. Whenever Thielen makes his return to the 53-man roster, he could be in line to handle an increased role on offense, after the Panthers traded top wideout Diontae Johnson (rib) to the Ravens on Tuesday. Of course, the Panthers are playing for the future, so the team could opt to maximize opportunities for rookies Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker and second-year wideout Jonathan Mingo once Thielen has been cleared to play.