On March 10, 2023, the Minnesota Vikings released veteran receiver Adam Thielen. The move wasn’t surprising, but Thielen’s career as a Viking was, at least, to anyone besides the veteran pass catcher.
Thielen is a Minnesota guy through and through. The sure-handed receiver grew up in Minnesota rooting for the Vikings and a pair of future Hall of Famers, Randy Moss and Cris Carter. Thielen came out of nowhere to put his name in the same stratosphere as those Vikings’ legends. Playing for the Vikings was a dream control for Thielen.
After a decade with the Vikings, why would Minnesota release the former Minnesota State product? Being cut from the team you rooted for as a kid and devoted 10 years of your life to is emotional. Let’s dive into how the move went down and the fallout afterward.
Why Did Minnesota Cut Adam Thielen?
The Minnesota State alum was an undrafted rookie free agent who somehow found his way onto the roster and into the starting lineup. Thielen is well-liked in the state of Minnesota as a hometown favorite. His departure from the organization brought mixed emotions from the fan base and the player.
The current Carolina Panther expressed his opinion on his departure from Minnesota.
“It was a bummer. I didn’t want to leave Minnesota. I wanted to end my career there. That would be the perfect fairy-tale way to do it, right? But that’s not reality.”
So why would Minnesota release Thielen? Some have intimated there were salary cap implications that led to his departure. At the top of his release, the veteran receiver had the second-largest cap hit on the team behind franchise QB Kirk Cousins. The move left the franchise with $13.5 million in dead money but did free up $6.5 million in salary cap space.
Thielen mentioned roster-building strategy and the path forward as reasons for the split.
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“I don’t think there was ever a point where I was unhappy with what I was doing. It was just pretty clear that they had a different vision for me than maybe I had for a way that I could help the team win games.”
In this case, both viewpoints can be correct. The Vikings wanted to save money against the cap and viewed the aging receiver as expendable. Minnesota also wanted to get younger and more athletic at the position and has invested premium draft capital recently on 1st round picks Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
Is There Animosity Between Thielen and His Former Franchise?
Sometimes, couples grow apart. The veteran receiver carries no ill will toward the franchise that gave him a shot. Thielen remains thankful to the Vikings organization and praised Minnesota on his way out.
“I’m so thankful for that organization, Kwesi [Adofo-Mensah] and [Kevin O’Connell] and the staff. The way they handled this throughout the process was first-class. There wasn’t disrespect on either side. I think it was just time for both sides to move on.”
How Will Thielen’s Minnesota Career Be Remembered?
The walk-on from Minnesota State will be remembered as an overachiever who became a Pro Bowl-caliber receiver. Thielen moved from core special-teamer to one of the top receiver duos in football, opposite former Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs.
The former Vikings and current Panthers receiver has caught 596 passes throughout his tenured career for 7,292 yards. Thielen’s next touchdown catch will be his 60th, marking one of the more surprising and prolific careers in Vikings history.
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