Adam Thielen is returning house. The Panthers have agreed on phrases to ship the Minnesota native again to the Vikings, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting the deal is finished.
Carolina will receive a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-rounder. Minnesota adds Thielen, a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder, according to Schefter, who adds talks between the NFC groups have been critical for a number of days.
The groups had been haggling over trade value this week, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds the Panthers initially requested for lots in return for the established possession receiver. With phrases agreed to, the Vikings are finalizing a revised contract, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds.
Thielen rejoins a Vikings workforce hurting at broad receiver to open the season, to the purpose the workforce eyed trade help. Jordan Addison incurred a three-game suspension for a 2024 DUI arrest, whereas Rondale Moore suffered a season-ending knee damage for a second straight yr. Jalen Nailor can also be recovering from a hand damage, and Justin Jefferson missed a number of weeks due to a hamstring damage sustained early in coaching camp.
Regardless of the Vikings slicing Thielen in 2023, veteran reporter Jordan Schultz signifies Kevin O’Connell advocated “strongly” so as to add a veteran to assist. Thielen, 35, matches the invoice and has scheme familiarity from his 2022 season in O’Connell’s offense. Earlier than that, Thielen performed 9 seasons in Minnesota. The previous rookie-camp tryout physique is ready to play a thirteenth NFL season, and he shall be requested to assist J.J. McCarthy transition to the professionals.
Thielen turns into the third receiver the Panthers have traded since October. They dealt Jonathan Mingo to the Cowboys and ended the failed Diontae Johnson experiment earlier than the 2024 deadline. Thielen, who accepted a revised contract this offseason, shall be dealt from an offense that added one other first-round wideout — Tetairoa McMillan — this yr. McMillan leads the way in which for the Panthers at receiver now, headlining a bunch that includes Xavier Legette and UDFA expertise Jalen Coker. This does strip the Panthers of a confirmed cross catcher, however they have younger expertise to garner key reps this season.
After two productive seasons in Carolina, Thielen accepted a reworked contract this offseason. The Panthers had him on a one-year, $8.75M deal ($1.5M guaranteed). Whereas the rework supplied Thielen with assured cash for 2025 — the ultimate yr of his contract — it additionally left the door open for a possible commerce. The Panthers will incur $5M in useless cash by transferring Thielen, with the determine being break up between the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Thielen tacked on a third 1,000-yard season to his resume in Carolina, being a woeful offense’s top option in 2023. He added a 615-yard year in 2024, doing so despite missing seven games with a hamstring injury. The former Jefferson and Stefon Diggs sidekick ranks third in career Vikings receptions and receiving TDs, sitting fifth in career Minnesota yardage.
Thielen had pointed to 2025 potentially being his NFL finale, and it’ll now are available his house state. Thielen mixed for twenty-four TD receptions in Jefferson’s first two years. After working with Kirk Cousins for 5 seasons, Thielen garnered expertise with a youthful QB in Younger; that ought to assist him forward of McCarthy’s debut marketing campaign.
Minnesota initially had Diggs complementing Thielen, who eclipsed 1,200 yards in 2017 and ’18. Thielen agreed to 2 Vikings extensions, the second of which was a four-year, $64.8M accord. The Vikes revised that deal in 2022 however cut the accomplished receiver in March 2023, after the perimeters couldn’t agree on one other adjustment.
Thielen then collected a three-year, $25M deal from the Panthers. Whereas Carolina missed on some 2023 additions, Thielen supplied worth. After commerce rumors emerged on the 2024 deadline, the Panthers circled again to a deal now. The Vikings had added Addison in Spherical 1, weeks after slicing Thielen. It will likely be fascinating to see that duo work collectively, with Nailor (414 yards final season) and third-round rookie Tai Felton rounding out what shall be one of many NFL’s deepest WR teams as soon as Addison is activated in Week 4.
