Adam Thielen‘s second stint with the Vikings has come to an end. The veteran receiver was waived on Monday, per a team announcement. 
Thielen was inactive for yesterday’s loss despite being healthy. Instead of finishing the season buried down the depth chart on a Minnesota team in line to miss the playoffs, he will now seek out a new situation for the stretch run. Thielen will hit the waiver wire and, provided he clears, become a free agent.
“Last week Adam’s representation approached the team and asked if we would be willing to release Adam, expressing his desire to play a bigger role in the remaining weeks of what he has indicated will be his final NFL season,” a team statement reads in part. “Following discussions through the weekend and out of respect for Adam, we have agreed to give him the opportunity to pursue more playing time elsewhere.”
Thielen spent his first 11 years and 10 NFL seasons with Minnesota. The former UDFA emerged as a key figure on offense for the Vikings, but a downturn in production ultimately led to his release in 2023. Thielen joined the Panthers in free agency, and during two years in Carolina he served as a full-time starter.
Amidst questions regarding a potential retirement decision, Thielen committed to playing one more season. The Panthers traded him back to the Vikings shortly before the start of the campaign. During his second run with his hometown team, the Minnesota State product has made just eight scoreless catches while handling a snap share of only 29%. The Vikings have struggled mightily on offense all season, something punctuated during yesterday’s shutout loss.
While the team looks for answers under center for 2025 and beyond, Thielen will look for a suitable fit over the closing weeks of the season. The two-time Pro Bowler hinted in May that this year would likely be his last. To no surprise, Thielen has since confirmed in a statement of his own that he will indeed be hanging up his cleats after the year comes to an end. It will be interesting to see if he lands with a contender and in doing so sets up a potential run at a first career Super Bowl.
The Panthers-Vikings trade included a conditional pick, but today’s news confirms its status. The final tally on the swap is Thielen, a 2026 seventh-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder in exchange for fifth- and fourth-round selections in the next two drafts. Thielen accepted a pay cut to facilitate the move.
Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are in line to remain atop the Vikings’ WR depth chart for years to come. The team will not have Thielen in place for the final few games of his career, however.
He was a healthy scratch yesterday and had the same amount of production as all the starters
He knows his time is nearing an end. He wants to play for a contender. I respect that.
He needs to comeback to the 2026 SB Champs the friggin Panthers let’s go. Keep Pounding!!!
I’m cool with the bills giving him a tryout. His numbers were decent just last season.
I guess Brosmer isn’t the next Brock Purdy and maybe that Vikings joke of an O line really is a major impediment to QB play
What DID happen with their O Line? The spent as much money as the Bears to improve it but appears to have crapped out. I know the C has been injured most of the year but what happened to the rest? Just my opinion but I never really had a lot of faith in McCarthy because I didn’t think he was the reason Michigan won the title. I thought they won in spite of him instead of because of him. Like to see Thielen go out fighting for the Playoffs too. Just hope he stays out of Pittsburgh because he won’t get far.
Best landing spots for one last pow wow?
Steelers
Seahawks
Chiefs
Long shots:
Texans
Colts
Bears
Add the Panthers! they gonna win it all trust yes I might be a tad delusional but we beat the dagum Rams!!!!!!!