Adam Thielen
Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
It took some legwork but the Minnesota Vikings rescued Adam Thielen from the Carolina Panthers. They allowed him to walk in 2022 not wanting to pay the freight for an aging wide receiver. Fast forward to today, and they’d like to keep the 35-year-old around a bit longer.
Thielen restructured his contract with the Panthers in March. The three-year, $25 million deal saw money moved around to change his cap hit for the upcoming season. Now a member of the MN Vikings and not looking to leave, the sides went to work again.
New contract structure for Adam Thielen
The Minnesota Vikings had to work within the structure that the Carolina Panthers dictated. Ultimately they still could have used the veteran wideout as Bryce Young continues to grow. Pushing them to make the deal involved multiple factors. One of them was a restructuring for Thielen. The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling highlighted what that looks like this week at the State Fair.
“Adam Thielen, to my understanding, ended up restructuring his contract. I don’t know the specifics exactly yet, but he took a little bit of a reduction from that $7 million cap number that he had in Carolina to help the Vikings a little bit with their cap.”
Ben Goessling – Star Tribune
Without Goessling divulging what the new structure looks like, there’s really no reason to speculate. He carries a $4.6 million dead cap hit next season in a void year as an unrestricted free agent.
Ultimately though, Thielen didn’t come home to leave again. The expectation should be that he’ll go from the Vikings active roster right into the Ring of Honor.
At 35 it’s anyone’s guess how many more seasons he will be able to play. That will be dictated by both his performance and health. If Thielen can uphold a strong bar for the third wide receiver position this year, then bringing him back in 2026 with Jalen Nailor hitting free agency is pretty straightforward.
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Ideally the Vikings could roster Thielen through 2026, at which point Jordan Addison would also hit free agency for the first time. Thielen would then be entering his age-37 season and likely looking at hanging up the cleats.
We’ll see how the sides continue to work things financially. For now, the fan-favorite is locked in as a top option for young quarterback J.J. McCarthy this season. Minnesota kicks off their season on September 8 against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
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