Adam Thielen’s career with the Minnesota Vikings has been nothing short of impressive, and it may be coming to an end.
According to a recent post from Adam Schefter, Thielen and the Vikings will have some tough and heavy talks over the next few days, and the outcome of the discussions could determine the future of his career.
From the day the undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State Mankato received an invitation to the rookie minicamp for his career as a two-time Pro Bowler for the Vikings, Thielen has established himself as one of the most reliable and productive wide receivers in the NFL. installed.
I’m not sure you’ve heard this before, but Thielen grew up in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and played college football at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Despite impressive numbers in college, he went undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft. However, the Vikings signed him as a free agent, and he made the team’s practice squad.
Is the hometown favorite’s time with the Vikings coming to an end?
Thielen’s hard work and dedication would soon pay off for a team devoid of wide receiver depth. Although he played sparingly in his first two seasons with the Vikings, Adam gradually earned more playing time, and in 2016, he had a breakout season, catching 69 passes for 967 yards and five touchdowns. That season he became the first Viking since his childhood idol Randy Moss in 2000 to have multiple 100-yard receiving games in a season.
Thielen’s success continued in 2017, as he made his first Pro Bowl after catching 91 passes for 1,276 yards and four touchdowns. That year, he set a Vikings record by beginning a season with eight consecutive games with at least five catches and 50 receiving yards.
Injuries limited Thielen’s production in 2018, but he still managed to catch 113 passes for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns during the season, including a memorable game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 12, for 125 yards. Including eight passes and one touchdown. , the game-winning catch in overtime.
Thielen missed six games in 2019 due to injury but still managed to catch 30 passes for 418 yards and six touchdowns. He also had a strong performance in the playoffs, catching five passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns in a wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
In 2020, Thielen remained a reliable target for quarterback Kirk Cousins, catching 74 passes for 925 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also had a career day in Week 11 against the Dallas Cowboys, catching eight passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
The last two seasons for the Vikings saw a slight decline in Thielen’s role, but he remained productive, averaging 68 catches, 771 yards, and 8 touchdowns per season. However, after the 2022 season, some frustrations with his role began to boil to the surface.
Fueled by a handful of Instagram posts from his wife, the business side of the game began to rear its head, and the prospect of his career taking him away from the hometown team became a reality.
Shortly after these comments surfaced, Thielen joined The Power Trip Morning Show on KFAN to share that he does not plan to retire in 2023 and continue playing football – and the reality is that this Vikings Can’t be with
Now the Shakers tweet, the latest in a handful of incidents, that if the team doesn’t agree on favorable restructuring terms, the Minnesota-hometown wide receiver could be traded away from the Vikings for the first time in his career.
While nothing is official yet, the situation is apparently pushing through as the gaze for Minnesota is firmly set on the NFL Draft, free agency and the 2023 season. The free agent market for wide receivers is relatively thin this season, so there certainly could be demand for the 32-year-old Thielen, who is still productive but may not be in the Vikings’ budget. Can they pay him? Is Adam part of their plans? Would it even be possible to mutually agree on a restructuring? Will Adam fit in a separate home locker room for the first time in his career?
We’ll be looking for answers to all these questions later this week – and then next Wednesday when the market opens across the league.
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