There is some irony in that the Minnesota Vikings had a presentation about how they keep players healthy on the day they released Adam Thielen.
The Vikings had multiple starters who were 30 or older at the time. Kirk Cousins, 34, was the starting quarterback. Harrison Smith, 33, remains a stalwart on defense. Patrick Peterson (32), Jordan Hicks, Eric Kendricks, and Za’Darius Smith (all 30) had played important roles on defense.
Tyler Williams, Minnesota’s VP of player health and performance, led the presentation. It pertained to all players, but he highlighted how they keep veterans healthy. The Vikings are intentional in everything they do, from practice to nutrition to rest and recovery. It’s part of why they’ve had (regular season) success with veteran teams.
Player turnover is also common in the NFL. Williams had used graphics of Dalvin Cook in his presentation, and the Vikings released him during that offseason. Still, it was weird to see the news that Minnesota had released Thielen on that March day in 2023.
The Vikings use a template for their press-release emails that provides basic details about the players they acquire, trade, or release. Below is the graphic from the press release announcing Minnesota’s trade for Thielen.
With bigger transitions, prominent insiders like Adam Schefter or Tom Pelissero have already broken the news, and the press release is a formality. Where a player grew up or went to school hardly feels relevant compared to the timing or draft pick compensation.
Still, there it was: Adam Thielen of Detroit Lakes, Minn., by way of Minnesota State, released.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell had taken over that year, and Thielen’s production had dropped in O’Connell’s offense. He played the entire season and had 716 yards receiving, 10 yards fewer than he had under Mike Zimmer in 2021.
As Thielen entered his 30s, his production had dipped from the 1,324.5 yards he had averaged as an All-Star in 2017 and 2018. The Vikings drafted Jordan Addison with the 23rd pick in 2023, which would have pushed Thielen into a WR3 role. Minnesota asked Thielen to take a pay cut, but he refused and signed with the Carolina Panthers.
In Carolina, he became the No. 1 option for Bryce Young. The Panthers had taken Young first-overall in 2023 and wanted a reliable target who could get open for their franchise quarterback. Thielen delivered, catching 103 passes for 1,014 yards, his highest numbers since he was an All-Star in 2018.
Ironically, Thielen is back in Minnesota because of Addison’s three-game suspension. He’ll start the season as WR2, where he’ll play a similar role for J.J. McCarthy as he did for Young. However, McCarthy also has Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson at his disposal, along with an improved offensive line and running game.
Once Addison returns, Thielen will settle into a WR3 role. It may not have been something he wanted at age 33, given he was still capable of a 1,000-yard season. However, Thielen worked out with McCarthy over the summer and said Minnesota’s first-year starter has “got it.”
I think I speak for most #Vikings fans, wishing they could see J.J. McCarthy throw passes to Adam Thielen on Sundays this fall.
I got to watch McCarthy throw to Thielen today, Thielen says McCarthy's "got it."@KSTPSports pic.twitter.com/vA6gKvMoUK
— Alec Ausmus (@A_TwiceKSTP) July 17, 2025
Thielen’s return has been a slow build. The Vikings traded Harrison Phillips and Mekhi Blackmon for draft compensation. They should get compensation picks for losing players like Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones, a product of O’Connell’s quarterback development side hustle. Thielen’s wife posted on Instagram that she was hoping for a return.
Suddenly, he’s home.
It feels fitting for a player who took the long road to the top. Thielen started his career as an undrafted practice squad player who Dre Kirkpatrick dismissed during joint practices in 2013. A year later, he made history by blocking two punts and returning them for touchdowns against Carolina. In 2017, he became an All-Pro receiver.
Thielen is back, and the Vikings paid a pretty penny to acquire him. He must be a reliable outlet for McCarthy to make sending a fourth-round pick to Carolina worth it. He’s 35 and has an injury history. For this trade to work out, Minnesota must keep him healthy.