Thielen caught his only target for 21 yards in Saturday's 31-26 preseason win over the Bills.
Thielen and the rest of the first-team offense played the opening drive, which ended in an eight-yard touchdown catch by Jordan Matthews. Offseason trade acquisition Diontae Johnson and rookie first-round pick Xavier Legette could cut into Thielen's target share in 2024, so matching last year's total of 137 will be tough, but Carolina's entire offense could benefit from increased efficiency if 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young can take a step forward in his second NFL regular season, which kicks off Sept. 8 against the Saints.