After nine seasons with the Vikings, former All-Pro wide receiver Adam Thielen’s time in Minnesota may be coming to an end.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that there is a “real possibility” that the Vikings release Thielen in the coming days, as the two sides prepare to meet. Thielen, 32, is coming off a season in which he caught 70 passes for 716 yards and six touchdowns.
The veteran has taken a step back in the Vikings offense as Justin Jefferson has emerged as perhaps the NFL’s best wide receiver. His last 1,000-yard campaign came in 2018, though he had a strong 924-yard season in ’20, catching a career-high 14 touchdowns.
Thielen is entering the two final—and most expensive—years of a four-year, $64 million deal. He is set to make $11.8 million in base salary with a $1.5 million roster bonus with Minnesota in 2023, and carries a cap hit of over $19 million per Spotrac.
The 2013 undrafted free agent, who latched on with Minnesota that same year, was a ’17 second-team All-Pro, and a Pro Bowler in ’17 and ’18.
