Vikings Complete the Adam Thielen Deal
The Minnesota Vikings have been rumored to be in the Adam Thielen sweepstakes for a while now. In the past few days, however, the deal seemed to be collapsing. Well, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah got the job done on Wednesday, and the lost son is coming home.
Vikings Complete the Adam Thielen Deal
Tom Pelissero reported Wednesday morning, “Reunion! The #Vikings are finalizing a trade for two-time Pro Bowl WR Adam Thielen, bringing home the Minnesota native in a deal with the #Panthers, sources tell me and @RapSheet. Thielen and Justin Jefferson were teammates from 2020-2022. Now, they’re back together again.”
Minnesota needed to add a capable receiver, with Jordan Addison scheduled to be sidelined for three games due to his suspension resulting from the 2024 driving incident. Jalen Nailor also suffered a hand injury in joint practices with the Patriots, and suddenly, it was Justin Jefferson and a trio of special teamers on the roster.
Pelissero also broke the compensation news: “Carolina gets: 2026 5th and a 2027 4th. Minnesota gets: Thielen, a conditional 2026 7th and a 2027 5th rounder.”
The conditions are unknown at this point, and the fourth-rounder could be a mild shock. Yet, with the fifth-rounder returning, that could be just a 20 or 30-spot slide in the draft, if the Vikings are as good as we think they could be in the 2026 campaign with J.J. McCarthy in his second year. GM Adofo-Mensah assembled a large number of late-round draft picks by striking three deals in the last week. That certainly helped pull off this deal.
Speaking of McCarthy, Thielen already knows Minnesota’s new signal-caller. The duo worked out together in each of the past two offseasons.
Last month, Thielen said about his new passer: “He’s got all the things it takes to be a successful player in this league, and kind of the things that we talked about about how I’ve gotten to year thirteen, he’s already got it. He’s got consistency, he’s got that mindset. He’s got all the skills to be able to play at a high level. So I’m really excited now, my second summer working with him, to see him get an opportunity, and to see what he does with the opportunity, because I see it.”
In the last two years, Thielen caught passes from Bryce Young and Andy Dalton. His mentor role should be comparable in the Twin Cities with McCarthy set to take his first steps.
Thielen, who just turned 35, still ranks third in Vikings history in receiving touchdowns and fifth in yards. He made his dream a reality when he earned a roster spot as a try-out player in 2013, spending his first ten seasons with his hometown team.
After the 2022 campaign, the Vikings released their pass-catcher, and he joined the Panthers. In 2023, he cleared 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2018, and in 2024, he missed seven games, but still accumulated 615 yards and five touchdowns.
Thielen’s role is clear: He’s supposed to step in for three weeks and be a major contributor, and once Addison is back, the Vikings have one of the strongest receiving groups in the NFL, but Thielen’s role might diminish at that point.
He knows the system, he knows the quarterback, and he knows the franchise. Expect the veteran to hit the ground running. The season opener is under two weeks away.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.