The DESI collaboration's first-year data analysis preferences a thawing dark energy scenario, particularly when using the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder (w0–wa) parameterization. This study investigates whether this preference holds within the context of exponential quintessence, a well-studied field theory model of thawing dark energy. The analysis finds no significant preference for exponential quintessence over theΛCDM model, and both models are poorer fits to the data compared to the w0–wa parameterization. The poor fit is attributed to the lack of sharp features in the potential, leading to a slowly evolving dark energy equation of state with insufficient freedom to simultaneously fit the supernovae, DESI, and cosmic microwave background (CMB) data. The study provides insights into constructing dynamical dark energy models that better accommodate the data, suggesting that models with more rapid variations in the equation of state, such as hill-top or plateau models, may be more suitable.The DESI collaboration's first-year data analysis preferences a thawing dark energy scenario, particularly when using the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder (w0–wa) parameterization. This study investigates whether this preference holds within the context of exponential quintessence, a well-studied field theory model of thawing dark energy. The analysis finds no significant preference for exponential quintessence over theΛCDM model, and both models are poorer fits to the data compared to the w0–wa parameterization. The poor fit is attributed to the lack of sharp features in the potential, leading to a slowly evolving dark energy equation of state with insufficient freedom to simultaneously fit the supernovae, DESI, and cosmic microwave background (CMB) data. The study provides insights into constructing dynamical dark energy models that better accommodate the data, suggesting that models with more rapid variations in the equation of state, such as hill-top or plateau models, may be more suitable.