Adam Thielen was in the hot tub getting ready for a long day of practice when he learned that the Carolina Panthers had traded him. He knew the Minnesota Vikings wanted to bring him back, but he wanted to go all-out for the Panthers while he was still in Charlotte.
Thielen said he was excited to return to Minnesota, but it didn’t compare to the reaction he got when he told his four-year-old daughter Cora the news.
Even jaded Vikings fans, whose hearts have shrunk two sizes after watching countless playoff losses, had to feel a tingle of warmth on Wednesday.
Minnesota’s trade for Thielen felt like a long time coming. He had left the Vikings after the 2022 season to become a reliable target for 2023 first-overall pick Bryce Young. Thielen says he appreciates his time in Charlotte with Young. Still, the family wanted to return to Minnesota, and the Vikings needed a veteran receiver who knows Kevin O’Connell’s system.
“That was pretty raw emotion right there because I had just found out,” Thielen said on Thursday. “I’m a be-where-your-feet-are guy, and minutes before that, I was a Carolina Panther getting ready for practice and excited for what that looks like.
“So just the raw emotion there with my daughter, who’s a spitfire and has a lot of energy and excitement, it was pretty cool and a memory I will never forget.”
Therein lies the oddity of the situation. In some ways, the move was easy to see coming. The Vikings needed receiver depth, and Carolina has a good young receiving core. Thielen was a reliable possession receiver for Young in his first two seasons, and the Vikings want to put J.J. McCarthy in a position to succeed during his first year as a starter.
Thielen is also 35. He may feel he has a few more good years left in him. Still, it makes more sense for him to be on a team with championship aspirations than one that’s rebuilding. As the trade talks dragged on, it became clear that Thielen and his family wanted to return to Minnesota.
“Trying to trust God’s plan!” Caitlin Thielen wrote on Instagram before the trade. “Even when you want something and pray for something so hard, HE ultimately has the final say, and some things are out of your control.”
Thielen said he’s “unfortunately” on social media and tracked everything in real-time. It was an emotional few days for him and his family. Still, he tried to stay present. He grew close to Young and his other teammates in Carolina, and he loved his coaches and the staff in the building.
“We built such a strong relationship that I had to be where my feet were,” he said. “I had to be all in.”
One day, he was the primary receiver on a team trying to develop a franchise quarterback. The next, he’s a second option for a first-year starter on a team that’s trying to win the Super Bowl. By Week 4, he could become a depth receiver when Jordan Addison returns from suspension.
“I don’t worry about that stuff,” he said. “I really have to focus on what I can control. … When Jordan gets back, I’m so excited to work with him again and, at the end of the day, go try to win games and bring Minnesota home what they deserve.”
Thielen is likely referring to a Super Bowl. However, we won’t know if the Vikings are contenders until December or January. Until then, Thielen will strive to provide the team with what they need to succeed in their first year under McCarthy. He’s home, and it’s exciting, but there’s work to do.
