Sep 18, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) runs on to the field before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Lately, there has been a fair bit of Adam Thielen chatter on Vikings Territory (we here at P/PTSD are in cahoots with the fine folks at VT).
Not too long ago, the Minnesota legend worked out with J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 pick from the 2024 NFL Draft who is being entrusted with taking over as the Vikings’ QB1 before too long. Thielen tossed praise in McCarthy’s direction — a consistent theme for the offseason has been praise for McCarthy — while fans dreamed about seeing the pair put in work on an actual NFL field.
Oct 1, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) (left) and Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn (17) (right) after the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The likeliest scenario, though, is that Thielen continues functioning as a trusted veteran for the Panthers. In time, the receiver can sign a one-day contract and retire as a Viking. Is that good enough?
For some, the answer will be no. Getting Thielen back into the purple fold before the very end would be a welcome sight for many within The State of Hockey. Dustin Baker put pen to paper — keyboard to screen? — to outline a trio of ways Thielen could return. Are any realistic?
Adam Thielen as a Viking
How much gas is left in the tank? A quick look at the numbers would suggest that the veteran still has some, but the tank isn’t as full as it used to be.
His debut season in Carolina went awfully from a win/loss perspective but his personal statistics were notable enough. Thielen snagged 103 catches for 1,014 yards and 4 touchdowns. The 9.8 yards-per-reception average — the lowest of his career and first time he has dipped below 10.0 — speaks to both some declining explosiveness and the manner in which Carolina used the veteran.
Nov 24, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
Even worse is that the average depth of target was sitting at a modest 7.5 yards. In other words, Carolina was leaning on Thielen for a lot of short completions, the kind of passes that would make life easy for rookie passer Bryce Young. That volume resulted in clearing 100 catches and 1,000 yards but he did so in an inefficient manner.
Would Minnesota even want him back?
Truth be told, it’s difficult to know from outside of Eagan. The leaders within TCO Performance Center will make their own decisions without any sway from fans and/or writers. It’s worth noting, though, that the main reasons why Thielen got cut were due to declining effectiveness and a large cap hit. If the cap hit was low, would there be interest?
Jun 8, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell talks to wide receivers Adam Thielen (left) and Justin Jefferson (right) during mandatory mini camp at TCO Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Trading for Adam Thielen would involve inheriting a hearty portion of his contract. During the 2023 offseason, the receiver agreed to a three-year pact that came in at a total compensation sitting at $25 million. A large pay day for an older receiver but one that made sense in Carolina’s context given the savings of the rookie QB and the need for reliability in the pass catchers.
In Minnesota, however, the contract fit doesn’t make a ton of sense.
Yes, some of the money would stay behind in Carolina, but Thielen would still be bringing a middle class deal (read more) over to the Vikings. Crucially, his role would be to function as a WR3 or even a WR4, so the dollars and cents don’t make a ton of sense.
One wonders, though, about the possibility of a cut. Is there any chance at all that Carolina decides to move on from the veteran? The chance appears low since he is so reliable and because he’s a good leader, but Carolina has gone through a regime change.
Sep 27, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) in the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Plus, there’s a bit more receiver talent to contend with in Carolina, as Baker mentions. Thielen isn’t the future at receiver for the Panthers, but some combination of Ihmir Smith-Marsette (24), Terrace Marshall Jr. (24), Xavier Legette (23), and/or Jonathan Mingo (23) could be. Notably, a trio of those receivers — Marshall, Legette, and Mingo — were drafted by Carolina in the 1st or 2nd Round of recent drafts, so the hope is that they will develop into foundational pieces.
Oh, and one more thing: Diontae Johnson, 28, is also in town. The former Steeler is an excellent receiver who seems likely to take over as the WR1 in Carolina. And, of course, there are several other depth options all competing for a limited number of receiver spots, as well.
Add it all up and Adam Thielen is facing a tough competition as a well-paid veteran receiver who is now operating under a new coaching staff. If a cut occurs, Minnesota could plausibly circle around to see about a reunion. Currently, though, we’re a long way off from those things happening.
Thielen will turn 34 on August 22nd.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.
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Publish date : 2024-07-12 09:15:00
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