The squad representing Minnesota in the NFL could benefit from additional wide receiver talent, particularly as the season commences and Jordan Addison is unavailable for the initial three contests due to a suspension. Furthermore, Jalen Nailor is currently managing a hand ailment, and Rondale Moore’s season has been cut short.
According to insights shared by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Vikings are reaching out to a familiar face. On Friday, Schefter communicated that Minnesota has initiated discussions about potentially acquiring Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen through a trade, aiming to bring him back into the fold.
Thielen, a 35-year-old hailing from Minnesota, previously dedicated the initial nine seasons of his professional journey to the Vikings (spanning from 2014 to 2022), during which he earned two Pro Bowl selections.
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Over the past couple of seasons since departing from the Vikings, he has achieved individual success with the Carolina team, where he has also contributed as an experienced and respected figure within the Panthers’ locker room, despite the team’s overall record of 7 wins and 27 losses during that period.
In 2023, Thielen marked his third season with over 1,000 receiving yards. Despite the challenges faced by rookie quarterback Bryce Young amidst a season marked by upheaval, including the dismissal of Frank Reich as head coach after just 11 games, Thielen emerged as a dependable target and a strong advocate for the top pick in the 2023 draft. Throughout that season, he secured 103 receptions, which stands as the second-highest tally in his career, and amassed 1,014 receiving yards.
Last year, Thielen experienced a period of absence early in the season due to a hamstring injury sustained during the first half of a Week 3 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders. The injury occurred as he reached for one of his five touchdown catches of the year. Despite his time on the injured reserve list, Thielen managed to accumulate 48 receptions and 615 receiving yards across 10 games, demonstrating an increase in his average receiving yards per game in 2024 (61.5) compared to 2023 (59.6).
Thielen’s ongoing achievements in the NFL with Carolina represent the latest installment in his remarkable professional narrative. Following his collegiate career at Division II Minnesota State, Thielen was not selected in the 2013 NFL Draft.
During that year, he was part of the Vikings’ practice squad. However, the subsequent year marked his inclusion in the 53-man roster, a position he maintained until joining the Panthers as a free agent nearly a decade later.
Thielen’s Pro Bowl selections occurred in consecutive years: 2017 and 2018. Achieving second-team All-Pro recognition in 2017 — a season that saw Case Keenum step in and guide the Vikings to the NFC championship game — Thielen recorded 91 receptions for 1,276 yards and four touchdowns. In 2018, he amassed a career-high of 113 receptions and 1,373 receiving yards, along with nine touchdowns.
Thielen’s highest receiving touchdown totals were achieved in 2020 and 2021, corresponding to the initial two seasons of Justin Jefferson’s career with the Vikings. Thielen secured 14 touchdowns in 2020 and an additional 10 the following year.
