The bye week is a great time for reflection on the last postseason, the current situation, and what happened in between to get us here. One of the Minnesota Vikings’ most anticipated moves happened just before the season kicked off when they brought back beloved receiver Adam Thielen.
While many fans were anticipating his return to his hometown team, there were reasons to be hesitant. When the league handed down Jordan Addison’s three-game suspension for a “wet reckless,” there seemed to be even more reason to bring back Thielen.
On August 27, the team acquired Thielen in a trade with the Carolina Panthers, a move that was well-received by fans. While this move added depth to the receiver room and gave J.J. McCarthy a clearer option at WR2 while Addison was out. Thielen then became a solid veteran No. 3 option when Addison returned, while engaging the fanbase with a feel-good story.
As the team comes out of the bye staring down a gauntlet of projected playoff teams in the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions, and (maybe still?) Baltimore Ravens, it’s hard not to ask if the Vikings focused more on nostalgia than production when trying to find their Addison replacement.
So why did they bring Thielen back?
Besides the need for a replacement No. 2 in Addison’s absence, Thielen brought veteran savvy and experience in Kevin O’Connell’s system. Thielen’s knowledge of the game scheme and pace of play helps a young QB like McCarthy develop. It gave the young QB another viable option in a heavy passing attack and the assurance that this receiver will be in this spot at this time.
It was also thought that Thielen could help foster McCarthy’s development, like he was able to do for Bryce Young after the Carolina Panthers took him first overall.
In his debut season with the Panthers, Thielen demonstrated that he still had No. 1 receiver potential. Pair that with Justin Jefferson, one of the best in today’s game, and it could lead to mismatches for both players, allowing the young QB to succeed in picking apart defenses.
Another, more sentimental reason to bring him back was the love that the fans had for No. 19.
The fans remember the days of Case Keenum and the early seasons of Kirk Cousins, when they’d throw him a 50/50 jump ball, and Thielen would come down with the catch. In clutch spots, his quarterback knew where No. 19 was and that he would find a way to make a play happen.
“One of the biggest throws” of Kirk Cousins’ career.
Great adjustment & catch by Adam Thielen.#Vikings pic.twitter.com/LfZ3N3qPCE
— Sean Borman (@SeanBormanNFL) January 5, 2020
It’s hard to forget those times and not want that guy back in the locker room.
The Vikings decided to go down the road of nostalgia, and they are seeing the consequences of that decision. Instead of a veteran who could help a rookie QB, we are seeing a 35-year-old player who seems to have lost a step.
He hasn’t played with a first-year starting QB in Minnesota since he and Teddy Bridgewater were rookies. Thielen also hasn’t been a No. 2 since he was playing with Stefon Diggs.
Thielen has only four catches for 37 yards this year. That may be because Minnesota’s injured offensive line isn’t giving McCarthy and Carson Wentz enough time to find him. Still, Thielen isn’t able to create the separation he once did.
Jalen Nailor has also improved, which hasn’t helped Thielen’s cause. McCarthy and Carson Wentz have looked in Nailor’s direction more often, and with more success. For comparison, Nailor has been targeted 21 times and has caught 11 of those passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.
While Thielen came in to be the No. 2 option to begin the season, he’s seventh on the team in targets behind Zavier Scott.
So, who might have been a better trade option?
If the Vikings wanted to avoid giving away draft capital, they could have opted for another old friend inK.J. Osborn. Osborn’s best seasons were in purple and gold. The New England Patriots cut him last year after he played seven games, tallying seven catches for 57 yards with a lone touchdown.
However, Osborne could give the Vikings more production and potentially be a value signing after a significant drop-off from leaving O’Connell’s system. Not only is he still in his prime at 28, but he also knows the system inside and out. Osborn has helped QBs learn a complex offense in 2023 when the Vikings started four separate signal-callers, which shows he could have been an asset in McCarthy‘s development.
Elijah Moore, 25, is another guy who could have potential as a plug-and-play player. Currently with the Buffalo Bills, he’s finally on a winning team after starting his career with the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns. When Moore first entered the league, people compared him to another Minnesota great, Randy Moss, due to his explosiveness, ability to create separation, and versatility to play inside and outside.
Finally, the Vikings could have gone with Van Jefferson. Jefferson is currently with the Tennessee Titans. He knows what O’Connell likes to do from their time together with the Los Angeles Rams and fits his system.
Looking at Van Jefferson’s stats alone, you can tell when KOC left to lead the Vikings. When the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2021, Van Jefferson had 802 yards and caught 50 out of 89 targets with six TDs. He hasn’t had over 370 yards and 50 targets since. After KOC took the Minnesota job, he has only caught a total of five TD passes in five seasons.
While the fans wanted Thielen back the second they realized Addison would be shelved for three weeks, I had qualms about it. As a fan, watching an aging star fizzle on the bench taints the memory that the fanbase had of them.
While it is understandable why Thielen would want to come back to Minnesota in both a personal and professional sense, this seemed a bit forced. I wanted to be able to dream of what could have been, not fall flat into the reality that he wasn’t what he used to be.
Nostalgia is fine, but what is nostalgia if the production is no longer there?