Adam Thielen wanted to return home to Minnesota enough that he was willing to cost himself millions of dollars for it.
Thielen took a pay cut with the Vikings that cut his base salary by $2 million and removed $4 million in potential incentives, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Thielen was born and raised in Minnesota and originally became a Viking as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State in 2013. After spending his first season on the practice squad, Thielen made the 53-man roster in his second season and eventually became a star receiver in Minnesota, topping 1,000 receiving yards in both 2017 and 2018. He left to sign with the Panthers as a free agent in 2023.
But after two years in Carolina, he wanted to go home. The Panthers and Vikings worked out a trade, and Thielen was willing to take a pay cut to get it done.