Early on Wednesday morning, Tom Pelissero reported that the Minnesota Vikings were exploring veteran receivers in the trade market.
While this might have seemed absurd a few months ago, the situation has changed. Jordan Addison is set to serve a three-game suspension from his “wet reckless” charge. It also remains unclear if Jalen Nailor will be ready for Week 1, and Rondale Moore will miss the entire season with a knee injury. Therefore, it makes sense for Minnesota’s front office to look to add receiver depth.
It makes even more sense after watching the second week of preseason, when it was hard to ignore all the drops and below-average receiver play. The team still has Justin Jefferson as their WR1. However, the offense is hindered without a player to capitalize on the mismatches Jefferson creates.
Therefore, the Vikings should give the Carolina Panthers a call about Adam Thielen.
We all know Thielen’s story. He’s from Detroit Lakes, earned a $500 D2 scholarship, got a UDFA tryout, and eventually became an All-Pro receiver with the Vikings. Thielen was a mainstay of the Mike Zimmer era. However, he only played one season under Kevin O’Connell before becoming a cap casualty to the new regime when they overhauled the roster.
In Carolina, he eclipsed 1,000 yards once and was on track to do it again before he missed seven games with an injury.
During his time in Carolina, Thielen has been one of the few reliable targets for third-year quarterback Bryce Young, who played poorly as a rookie but showed promise last year. Through it all, Thielen has been the lone star in what might have been the worst receiver room in the NFL over the past two seasons.
Still, why would the Vikings trade for Thielen as he enters his age-35 season?
It might be more reasonable than you think.
Although Carolina’s roster previously didn’t have enough playmakers, it may now have a surplus of receivers. Given their desire to acquire younger players at the position, with prospects like Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, and Jalen Coker, the Panthers could view this as an opportunity to part with Thielen and receive something in return.
The Vikings have a very obvious need. With the slew of injuries they have suffered at receiver, it would make sense to bring back a former fan favorite who knows O’Connell’s offense. Thielen has also worked out with McCarthy and Jefferson in the offseason.
While Thielen is much older than he was when he was racking up All-Pro nods, he still provides a sense of stability to a wide receiver room that needs exactly that. He might not be the same Adam Thielen who outran defenders and made insane grabs every week. Still, during his time with the Panthers, he has demonstrated that he still possesses the necessary skills to get open, even without relying solely on his route running.
Bringing him back would be the perfect high-floor option to fill in at the WR2 spot for the first three weeks against defenses like the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons, who have clear issues at cornerback.
Even at his advanced age, Thielen remains an incredible red-zone target, especially when you factor in the gravity that Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson will generate in scoring range.
If Thielen returns to Minnesota, he would likely assume a similar mentorship role to the one he had with the Panthers. Meanwhile, he could reduce his snaps and potentially prolong his career by limiting the wear on his body.
Fans might look to options like Alec Pierce, Elijah Moore, and other younger, higher-upside rental players to fill in at the receiver spot this season. However, Adam Thielen is already a fan favorite and familiar with the playbook and would likely cost them little in terms of trade capital.
