The Minnesota Vikings are adding a familiar face to their bedraggled wide receiver room, bringing Adam Thielen home in a trade with the Carolina Panthers.
The Vikings sent a 2026 fifth-round pick and 2027 fourth-round pick to the Panthers in exchange for Thielen, a 2026 conditional seventh-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder.
With Jordan Addison suspended for the first three games and Jalen Nailor dealing with a hand injury, the Vikings needed depth at the position. The Panthers, meanwhile, have a surfeit of young talent at the receiver position, making Thielen expendable.
Thielen's NFL career began when the Vikings signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He broke out in 2016, catching 69 balls for 967 yards and five touchdowns, then had two straight Pro Bowl seasons. Injuries dogged him over the ensuing years, and the Vikings cut him after the 2022 season. The Panthers signed him to a multiyear deal, and he was productive, catching 151 passes for 1,629 yards and nine touchdowns across two seasons.
Thielen, 34, is a native of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and played college ball for Minnesota State. Among wide receivers, he's fifth in Vikings history in yards (6,682) and third in catches (534) and touchdowns (55).
Justin Jefferson, arguably the league's top pass catcher, will continue to lead the receiving corps. Where Thielen slots in is yet unclear, though it's likely given Nailor's emergence last year, Thielen's age and the short window before the season starts that he'll play the No. 3 receiver role. Once Addison returns, Thielen will likely be relegated to a depth role.
Anthony Bettin
Anthony Bettin is a web producer at CBS Minnesota. He primarily covers breaking news and sports, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings.