It’s weird seeing Adam Thielen in anything but a Minnesota Vikings jersey.
That’s why, when rumors swirled that the Carolina Panthers were considering trading him this offseason, fans clamored for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to sign the two-time Pro Bowl receiver. After a couple of years in Carolina, they figured he could be a reliable safety valve for new quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Adofo-Mensah got it done, swapping picks with the Panthers to bring Thielen back to his hometown.
Through six weeks, it’s fair to ask why this was necessary.
Adam Thielen has only four catches for 37 yards since the trade. He has not been as productive as was expected when he was acquired. At 35 years old, he’s not the playmaker Vikings fans were accustomed to seeing.
Age could be a factor, and so could McCarthy’s injury. However, the most significant consideration is the role change Thielen is dealing with. He spent most of his career as Minnesota’s top receiver, but was forced to take a step back when Justin Jefferson was drafted in 2020. When the Vikings released Thielen in 2023, they ended up drafting Jordan Addison as his replacement.
Now that Thielen and Addison are on the same field, the veteran has taken a step back again. He now operates as the WR4 behind the emerging Jalen Nailor, a far cry from his glory days. Still, he could be a valuable contributor if the coaching staff can determine where he fits in best.
Thielen is almost a mini tight end in Minnesota’s offense. His primary usage has been as a red-zone and third-down option, as evidenced by his four first downs on four catches. However, his average depth of target (aDOT) of 12.9 leads all Vikings receivers and is the highest mark of his career. That might be an indication that he’s being misused.
During his lone Pro Bowl season (2018), Thielen’s aDOT was 9.4, showing his effectiveness as a short-yardage, moving-the-chains type passcatcher. Both his 1,000-yard seasons (2018 and 2023) featured the two lowest aDOTs of his career. His PFF grade this year is 90.1 when being targeted on short throws (zero to nine yards). However, it drops to 72 on medium throws and 58.7 on deep shots.
To get the most out of Thielen, the Vikings must focus on maximizing this version of him. They have Addison, Jefferson, and even Nailor to run the long posts and corner routes to create chunk plays. Thielen just needs to hover around the sticks, catch the occasional touchdown, and be a veteran presence in a locker room with a young quarterback who’s recovering from injury.
Nailor’s ascension has also been a significant reason for Thielen’s decreased opportunities. The fourth-year receiver has settled into his WR3 role nicely with the team. Through five games, he already has half as many targets as he had in 2024, turning it into 11 catches for 125 yards. He’s run more routes, commanded a higher target share, and totaled more EPA than Thielen. It’s safe to say he has passed Thielen on the depth chart.
Nailor still has a ways to go before he passes Addison. In five career games without Addison, he’s caught 13 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns. His speed always makes him a factor, and he has the big-play upside that you want out of a WR3. Still, he’s not as polished a route runner as Addison, so it’d be hard for him to become a WR2.
Adam Thielen should become more productive as the season progresses. Once he’s acclimated to his new role, the team becomes healthier, and the coaching staff figures out how to utilize his services, they’ll need his contributions. It helps that McCarthy and Thielen worked out together over the summer, so their chemistry should improve once he returns.
The Vikings don’t need Thielen to be any more than a red-zone and third-down target. They have the personnel and the talent not to have to rely on a 35-year-old for anything more than the occasional first down and catches that bail out the QB. Whether he was worth a fourth-round pick as part of the trade package is up for debate, but the Vikings are getting exactly what they signed up for.