Adam Thielen was supposed to enjoy a grand return to Minnesota this year, rejoining the Vikings as part of a preseason trade that saw his original team surrender two draft picks just to make him a part of the 2025 lineup. Three months later, Thielen is in search of a new team to close what he now says is his final NFL season, requesting — and receiving — his release on Monday.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah revealed in a statement that Thielen’s representation first sought a larger role ahead of the club’s Week 13 shutout loss to the Seattle Seahawks, during which the veteran wideout was a healthy inactive. Now, the 35-year-old pass catcher, a longtime fan favorite in Minnesota, is hoping to latch onto a contender for the remainder of the year.
It’s not a stretch to suggest Thielen’s Vikings reunion didn’t go as planned; the former Pro Bowler managed just eight catches over 11 games behind Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor. A year after he also missed seven games due to injury with the Carolina Panthers, Thielen may well just be at the end of the road from a physical standpoint. Still, as a low-risk rental, he might have appeal to a handful of teams on track for January football.
Here are top potential landing spots for the wideout:
The Bills are scraping by when it comes to their pass catchers, recently adding Brandin Cooks to the mix as a late-year depth piece. Thielen’s possession skills might be redundant with those of Khalil Shakir, but with Joshua Palmer still hurt and Keon Coleman streaky as a big-play option, Buffalo could use all the emergency help it can get. At the end of the day, this group is probably going to live or die based on Josh Allen and James Cook’s heroics, but why not take a flyer?
Carolina Panthers
Wouldn’t it be wild if the Panthers acquired two Day 3 picks for Thielen, only to reintroduce him to the wide receiver room a few months later? It’s not the most ridiculous scenario now, with Carolina suddenly in the mix for the NFC South thanks to occasionally elite late-game composure from Bryce Young, who developed a clear rapport with Thielen during their time together. Thielen and his family know the Charlotte area well, and he could play more of a secondary role with Tetairoa McMillan now entrenched as the No. 1 target.
The Broncos have a solid 1-2 punch out wide in Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin, but Denver has been more erratic than reliable on the offensive side, with Bo Nix needing lots of last-minute magic to keep Sean Payton’s squad on a now-nine-game winning streak. Thielen probably wouldn’t rewrite the script at this juncture, but his sturdy fundamentals would likely make for a seamless fit in Payton’s attack, giving Nix another safety valve. The Broncos clearly offer the postseason path Thielen is seeking after improving to 10-2 on Sunday night.
A day after Aaron Rodgers publicly implied some Steelers receivers aren’t fully committed to learning and/or executing their routes, perhaps the overachieving Thielen will draw an endorsement from A-Rod in Steel City. At one point the two looked like a logical match, back when Rodgers was eyeing new weapons for his time with the New York Jets. The Steelers never stopped looking for added pass catching help after acquiring DK Metcalf via trade, so it stands to reason they’d consider this option as well. Mike Tomlin needs all the positive influence he can get as he tries to salvage Pittsburgh’s locker room and season.
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