Vikings waive Adam Thielen as receiver seeks bigger role before retirement
Adam Thielen didn’t get the feel-good ending to his career in Minnesota.
The Vikings waived the veteran receiver Monday following his request to seek more playing time in what is expected to be his final NFL season after a preseason trade to bring home the local legend.
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Thielen, 35, tallied eight catches for 69 yards across 11 games.
“Vikings family — Thank you,” Thielen wrote in an X post. “This is tremendously difficult for me to write and certainly not how any of us imagined this to go.
“As a Minnesota native, putting on this uniform over the years and representing this community both on and off the field has always meant that much more to me. This team is in my bones. It’s in my heart and it’s part of my DNA. I will ALWAYS be a Minnesota Viking.”
The Vikings made a notable move before the season to bring home Thielen, a Minnesota native who played for Division II Minnesota State before landing with his home state team as an undrafted free agent.
Thielen enjoyed a strong run with the franchise from 2014-22 before signing with Carolina, and the Vikings traded fifth- and fourth-round picks to acquire him.
Thielen even took a $2 million pay cut from $7 million to $5 million to play for the team, per ESPN.
While the idea of pairing him with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison seemed logical on paper, it didn’t translate in reality.
The Vikings made him a healthy scratch this week before parting ways after an embarrassing 26-0 road loss to the Seahawks on Sunday.
It’s possible a contender could add him as a low-cost move with potential reward.
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“Last week Adam’s representation approached the team and asked if we would be willing to release Adam, expressing his desire to play a bigger role in the remaining weeks of what he has indicated will be his final NFL season,” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a statement Monday.
“Following discuss through the weekend and out of respect for Adam, we have agreed to give him the opportunity to pursue more playing time elsewhere. Adams is one of the all-time great Vikings, and we wish him and his family continued success.”
Thielen ranks fourth in Vikings history in receptions, fifth in receiving yards and third in receiving touchdowns, which is all the more impressive since Hall of Famers Randy Moss and Cris Carter take up the top two spots in each of those respective categories.
Wrote Thielen: “With gratitude and love and I’ll be back to retire!”
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