The Adam Thielen Saga Takes Another Turn
Nobody expected the Vikings’ season to go this badly. The club is 4-8, and the elimination from playoff contention is just a formality at this point. Furthermore, the record is no fluke. The on-field product has been quite bad to watch on Sundays, and one even wonders how the squad managed to win four contests.
The Adam Thielen Saga Takes Another Turn
Of course, the veterans aren’t pleased. Players like Justin Jefferson waste a year of their prime, but for some guys, the finish line is near. Harrison Smith, Javon Hargrave, and Ryan Kelly decided to give it another shot — potentially their last — with what everyone thought was a stacked roster.
Adam Thielen was also acquired with the expectation that meaningful football would be played in January. That dream is dead, and Thielen requested a release from the organization to compete for a Super Bowl elsewhere, in what is expected to be his final months as a professional football player.
He was held out of the game on Sunday and ultimately waived on Monday after an unsuccessful second stint with his childhood team. After the bye week, even vested veterans have to go through the waivers process, and every team had the option to put in a waiver claim. Well, the Steelers reportedly won the race. He’ll join forces with Vikings nemesis Aaron Rodgers, who has also hinted that retirement could be on the horizon.
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor wrote, “For his birthday, the Pittsburgh Steelers got Aaron Rodgers a new receiver. The team was awarded former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen off waivers Tuesday, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.”
The Steelers are currently second in the AFC North with a 6-6 record. Baltimore is at the top at 6-6, and Cincinnati hopes to come alive now that Joe Burrow is back in the lineup. The 4-8 record isn’t helping their playoff odds, though.
Pittsburgh doesn’t have a WR corps as stacked as the Vikings, so Thielen’s role could grow rather quickly.
Pryor noted, “Thielen now lands with a Steelers team that has struggled to generate much offense this season. With Rodgers, who turned 42 on Tuesday, at the helm, the Steelers’ passing attack is 24th in the league, averaging just 187.8 yards per game. DK Metcalf, acquired by the Steelers in a blockbuster trade this spring, leads the team with 605 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions but is averaging a career-low 50.4 yards per game.”
In the Week 4 contest between the Vikings and the Steelers, Metcalf’s slant to the house generated 80 of the team’s 200 passing yards that day. The offense primarily features a short-passing attack with tight ends and running backs. Rodgers’ average depth of target of 6.4 ranks dead last among qualifying quarterbacks in the NFL.
“The receiver depth behind Metcalf is lacking, too, after another Steelers trade sent George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in the offseason,” Pryor added. “Calvin Austin III has the next most yards among Steelers wide receivers with 278, and he’s averaging just 27.8 yards per game.”
After the recent loss to Buffalo, Rodgers called out his receivers. Thielen has only caught eight passes for 69 yards in his 12th NFL season. His once-respectable speed has completely vanished, and the usually reliable hands haven’t been as reliable this year. Better quarterback play and an offense that is built around a quick passing attack might help him rekindle some of his magic.
Thielen’s second stint with the Vikings turned out to be a nice story, but the trade is certainly regrettable.
Regardless, if you needed a new team to root for in the next two months, Thielen’s final career games with the Steelers could be a sweet option.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.