Adam Thielen
EAGAN, Minnesota — The storybook chapters of Adam Thielen has Vikings career have ended.
On Friday, Minnesota terminated the receiver’s contract who rose from an unheralded and undrafted free agent to the franchise leaderboard in multiple categories.
Thielen is the team’s all-time leader in receptions (534) and receiving touchdowns (55), and ranks fourth in receiving yards (6,682).
Thielen’s numbers, combined with his humble career origin story, elevated him to folk hero status across the state, resonating from Lake Superior’s North Shore to Southwest Minnesota and his Detroit Lakes hometown in Northwest Minnesota all the way down to Bluff Country by the Mississippi River.
In 2022, Thielen was named Vikings Community Man of the Year for his work through Thielen Foundation.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, General Manager of the Minnesota Vikings, issued the following statement:
“Adam will be remembered as a member of the Minnesota Vikings family and history. Adam’s influence is significant, as he sets the standard on the field, is a selfless teammate, and has a lasting impact in the community. We are grateful for everything he has contributed to the Vikings organization since his arrival in 2013, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with him over the last year. He best exemplifies what the Minnesota Vikings should stand for. I wish Adam, Caitlin, and their entire family the best.”
Thielen first appeared in the NFL after being signed after attending Minnesota’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis in 2013. After
He started every game for the Vikings for the next two seasons and continued to produce despite multiple offensive coordinator changes and a slew of quarterback injuries from 2014 to 2017.
Thielen set career highs with 113 receptions and 1,373 yards in 2018, his first season with Kirk Cousins at quarterback. He was the first player in NFL history to start a season with eight straight 100-yard games. Thielen’s nine touchdown receptions that season was topped by a personal-best 14 in 2020, the fifth-highest total by a Viking in a single season all-time.
In 2021, the former Minnesota State Maverick had 67 receptions for 726 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 13 games.
Thielen caught 70 passes for 716 yards and six touchdowns in his first season under Kevin O’Connell, becoming only the fourth undrafted player in NFL history to do so.
“Adam’s story is one that many people know and admire, and it is an incredible example of what a relentless pursuit of a goal can ultimately accomplish,” said O’Connell in a statement. “For more than a decade, Adam honed his craft to become one of the NFL’s most well-known wide receivers. During that time, he gave so much of his time to his home state, making his selection as our 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year all the more special. I relied on Adam’s work ethic, leadership, and counsel on numerous occasions last season to get our team where we needed to go. I appreciate Adam’s contributions and will be rooting for him, Caitlin, and their future success.
