Adam Thielen
Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
I’m all for a good joke every once in a while, but the Carolina Panthers may be certifiably insane. The Minnesota Vikings want Adam Thielen. Adam Thielen wants the Minnesota Vikings. The Carolina Panthers want crazy pills.
There is no denying that the Vikings wide receiver situation is pretty awful. Jordan Addison is suspended. Jalen Nailor is hurt. Heck, undrafted free agent Myles Price is currently third on the depth chart.
The Panthers can see what their trade partner is dealing with, and they’re hoping it translates to desperation.
The Panthers want what from the Minnesota Vikings? For who?
There’s no denying that a significant portion of the interest in Adam Thielen by the Vikings is familiarity. Of course for fans the move would pull at heart strings. For the coaching staff and front office, he represents a plug-and-play talent. The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling said that Carolina has shot for the moon.
“There’s been some discussion…about the #Panthers wanting a round 3 pick…”
–@BenGoessling with @RandBall today
Goessling added that he “can’t imagine” the Vikings would do that but had heard discussions between a 5 or a 7.
Both sides are dug in as of now.
🎥 @RandBall pic.twitter.com/un917Sm8b4
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) August 26, 2025
“We probably still talking about a day three pick. There’s been some discussion, and I’ve heard some of this, about the Panthers wanting a round three pick. That feels like a non-starter to me. I can’t imagine the Vikings doing that.”
Ben Goessling
The Panthers hold the asset Minnesota wants, and they have every right to ask for whatever they so choose. Suggesting something like a third round pick though, is basically saying the conversation is over.
Adam Thielen is a 35-year-old veteran with 162 games under his belt. He’s not a young commodity that is continuing to develop. This isn’t an upside play for the Vikings, and it’s not likely to help them much into the future.
It’s time! Bring. Him. Home. pic.twitter.com/vOSpDtjUQf
— Ted (@tlschwerz) August 26, 2025
Minnesota can eat all of Thielen’s $6.25 million base salary, and even the $10.1 million cap hit this season. Of course, if they were to do that, Panthers general manager Dan Morgan would need to understand that the pick compensation would reflect it.
Right now the Vikings have six draft picks in the fifth round or later. The sixth rounder they got for Mekhi Blackmon could be packaged with a fifth and/or a seventh and that should be more than realistic value to get the deal done.
Related: Minnesota Vikings 2025 Final 53-Man Roster
Then again, Carolina has kept Thielen around going into the season because they don’t have a significant need to trade him. Cap space for a bad team doesn’t matter a whole lot. Thielen is a trusted and quality target for Bryce Young. Something has to give, but which side blinks first matters.
At the end of the day, there’s just no way Minnesota is coughing up their third round pick. They won’t have a fourth rounder until the compensatory formula figures things out for Daniel Jones. Start operating from there Mr. Morgan.
Mentioned in this article: Adam Thielen More About:Minnesota Vikings