Let’s get a few things out of the way off the top.
Adam Thielen is my favorite Viking of all time. I’m a sucker for the underdog story, fantastic contested catches, and every funny white wide receiver cliché about him being “sneaky athletic” or “more quick than fast.” I love Adam Thielen so much my last name is literally Thielen (not like I changed it or anything, but obviously it plays into my bias).
People from Minnesota have bought me a beer on multiple occasions by showing them my ID and convincing them I’m related to Adam Thielen, which is not true. But aren’t we all related in the grand scheme of humanity?
On the other hand, I do my best to set aside my fandom in favor of professionalism and objectivity. Fans should want the Minnesota Vikings to win the Super Bowl one day, not just sign old, washed-up players who evoke nostalgia. For Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell, they can’t let the fanbase’s fondness for familiar names and likeable personalities cloud their judgment when making tough calls about this roster.
No trade is imminent. But Minnesota is actively looking, with six days to cutdown. https://t.co/8ENzxE8Pil
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 20, 2025
All that said, a call does need to be made. The depth concerns at wide receiver are by no means overblown. When Tom Pelissero is putting out reports about them sniffing around the veteran receiver market, I don’t think that’s just smoke.
If they thought they could solve this problem by just signing a guy like Brandon Powell (who was literally in the stands last weekend to witness the debacle at receiver and punt returns), it likely would’ve happened already. Every report has an underlying message by whoever is leaking the info, and my best guess is that Adofo-Mensah needed the league to know the Vikings were buyers right now.
So how did Minnesota find itself in this situation?
First, they have to weather the Jordan Addison suspension. We’ve known it was a long time coming, and they seemed prepared entering the offseason with the likes of Rondale Moore and Jalen Nailor to fill in the first three weeks of the season. Well, fast forward to now. Moore is out for the season, and Nailor is also likely to begin the season on the sideline.
This turned out to be a pretty physical practice. WRs Jordan Addison and Tai Felton left with what looked like hand/arm injuries. They remained on the sidelines but didn’t resume practicing. CB Jeff Okudah went inside mid practice with his right shoe off. https://t.co/XVW14SOqSh
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) August 20, 2025
Combine that with Tai Felton and Addison getting banged up in this week’s scrimmage, and we’re looking at Lucky Jackson and Thayer Thomas getting WR2/3 reps in Week 1.
Now, if this were any old season opener, I could maybe see them taking this on the chin and gritting their teeth through the hits on the depth chart. You feel much better about the roster once Addison makes his season debut in Week 4 across the pond, and it’s tempting to simply sign a replacement-level veteran and skate by for a few weeks.
But this isn’t any old season opener. This is J.J. McCarthy’s grand debut.
Minnesota’s entire offseason has centered around McCarthy. They acquired three new starters on the offensive interior, traded for a high-end RB2 in Jordan Mason, and bolstered the defense front, all to take as much pressure off of their young quarterback as possible. It’s not that they feel like they need to treat McCarthy with kid gloves, but his success defines the entire trajectory of this organization. Giving him the clearest runway to success has been the most critical objective this offseason.
And, I’m sorry, but it would greatly undermine those efforts to have him throw meaningful passes to Lucky Jackson as his WR2 at Soldier Field on Monday Night Football. This team needs to invest in a stopgap to survive for three games and also get McCarthy off to a strong start with the whole world watching.
You can quibble with his contract or what the trade compensation would be to acquire him. Still, the absolute best option out there to step in immediately and have the chemistry, schematic knowledge, and consistency needed to enable McCarthy to be the best he can be is Adam Thielen.
I deeply appreciate Kay Adams efforts to bring our boy home. 🫡🫡🫡 https://t.co/0bHKMHHy6R
— Nelson Thielen (@NelsonThielen) August 21, 2025
Thielen worked out with McCarthy and other Vikings receivers this offseason. He’s intimately familiar with O’Connell’s offense. And he fills the missing gap on this offense as a trusted, third-down chains-mover in a way no one else currently on the roster can. Perhaps most importantly, he’s still very good at football.
Andy Dalton to Thielen: what a throw, and a gutsy catch. pic.twitter.com/hKnSg0N8xO
— John Ellis (@1PantherPlace) September 22, 2024
Some people wrote off Thielen as another over-the-hill receiver when he parted ways with Minnesota. Still, he’s played an instrumental role in the Carolina Panthers’ offense the last few seasons. Thielen caught over 100 balls for 1,000 yards in 2023 and was still productive last season during the Bryce Young rollercoaster, with more mouths to feed in the offense around him. Frankly, the biggest obstacle to the Thielen reunion shouldn’t be whether the Vikings value him enough to trade for him; it’s whether Carolina is even willing to pick up the phone.
The Panthers are investing everything they can into their own young quarterback. Determining whether they actually have something on Bryce Young is their organizational priority, and shipping off his weapons may be ill-advised on their end. They’ve certainly got other promising players at the position: second-year receiver Xavier Legette, promising upstart Jalen Coker, and their top-10 pick, Tetairoa McMillan. Even if Thielen still has a role as the elder statesman in that receiver room, it’ll be a question of how valuable they view that role to Young’s development.
It’s also worth mentioning that this move would be valuable to this offense even after they’ve weathered the Addison suspension.
Addison and Justin Jefferson are both excellent, and the overlap in their skillset as downfield route technicians is not a deficiency but an asset. The “pick your poison” position they can put the opposing defense in is what makes this offense so lethal. Throw in T.J. Hockenson working the seams and flats as a tight end, and there’s a lot for a defense to track.
Thielen would add to that in a meaningful way. His ability to work over the middle and in tight windows is something that no other receiver outside of Jefferson (who can do it all) really brings to the table. While Hockenson also has significant value as a security blanket for McCarthy, Thielen provides that as well. Just like with Jefferson and Addison, some role overlap between Thielen and Hockenson actually provides more for a defense to account for in those clutch situations. And Thielen isn’t stuck running five-yard outs either. He’s shown he still has the savvy to find himself open downfield.
I’m not saying to trade the farm for a 34-year-old Adam Thielen. You may not be willing to pay what Carolina would ask for, considering how well Thielen is still playing and what he means to their offense at the moment. But given the Vikings are singularly focused on developing their rookie quarterback, and I can’t think of another semi-affordable option on the market currently than the kid from Detroit Lakes.
Wait, did you guys know that Adam Thielen is from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota? And he grew up a Vikings fan?
Could be a fun little story if he played for his favorite team.
— Nick Miller (@NicholasMMiller) August 20, 2025
Would it also be cool for fans to break out their Thielen jerseys again? (Assuming they ever took them off.) Yes. Would it feel right to allow Thielen to retire a Viking, not just in spirit but on the field? Absolutely. But this isn’t just midwestern sentimentality.
The best thing this front office has done this offseason is stay focused on its mission. Neither Sam Darnold nor Aaron Rodgers swayed them. They invested heavily in their offensive line. They’ve brought along McCarthy well, and he seems ready to go. Go bring back the fan favorite and finish the job.