When contemplating the 2025 season in the spring, Adam Thielen indicated it could be the last of his career.
If that comes to fruition, he’ll play his final season where it all began.
The Carolina Panthers traded Thielen to the Minnesota Vikings, the teams announced on Wednesdasy.
Carolina will receive a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-rounder, while Minnesota receives the veteran receiver, a 2026 conditional seventh-rounder and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero initially reported the trade earlier Wednesday morning.
Thielen, 35, spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Vikings from 2014 to 2022, producing a pair of 1,200-plus-yard seasons and earning two Pro Bowl selections.
A Minnesota native and an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State, Thielen was released by the current Vikings regime in the spring of 2023, but general manager Kwesi Odafe-Mensah, head coach Kevin O’Connell and Co. are in need of some veteran wide receiver help so they’ve worked out a reunion.
Thielen will once again take the field with standout Justin Jefferson after the two played three seasons together. Jefferson has been dealing with a hamstring injury, though, and Vikings No. 2 wideout Jordan Addison is suspended for season’s first three games. Minnesota also lost receiver Rondale Moore for the season, and Jalen Nailor is dealing with a hand injury. Thus, adding a proven talent like Thielen became a priority for the Vikings, who are heading into their first season with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy as starting quarterback.
Thielen’s familiarity with O’Connell’s offense and his experience shepherding a young QB made him a stellar fit for the job. He’s coming off two seasons as one of Bryce Young's top targets for Carolina.
For the Panthers, it’s clear they’re confident with the young receiving corps they have, led by 2025 first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan and 2024 first-rounder Xavier Legette, along with 2025 sixth-rounder Jimmy Horn Jr. and second-year player Jalen Coker. Hunter Renfrow, who was released Tuesday as part of Carolina's cutdown to its initial 53-man roster, could return now that Thielen is headed elsewhere.
Of some question would be how this affects Young.
Young seemingly had built a solid rapport with Thielen over the past two seasons. Thielen was the Panthers’ leading receiver in 2023 with 103 catches and 1,014 yards, standing as one of the few highlights in a 2-15 season that saw Young struggle mightily.
Last year, Thielen was limited to 10 games as he dealt with a hamstring injury but still led Carolina with 615 receiving yards and five TDs.
Young and the Panthers will move on without their most veteran wide receiver, as Thielen is on his way back to the Twin Cities for what might be one last run.