Getty Adam Thielen revealed his representatives are in contract talks with the Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings and homegrown wide receiver Adam Thielen are in talks about restructuring his contract to make him a Viking for life.
However, there aren’t many options if Thielen doesn’t agree to some form of a pay cut. Regardless of what may happen, the Vikings need to consider finding a new running mate to pair alongside Justin Jefferson in the coming years.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) evaluated the upcoming wide receiver free agent market and predicted Minnesota to sign Pro Bowl wide receiver D.J. Chark Jr. this offseason — a possibility that could come at half the price of Thielen.
PFF Predicts Vikings to Land D.J. Chark Jr., Who Has Ties to Minnesota
GettyDJ Chark warming up for the Lions before a 2022 game against Carolina.
PFF’s Brad Spielberger predicted Chark could be the ideal No. 2 wide receiver in Minnesota due to his blazing 4.34 40-yard dash speed and downfield playmaking ability.
From Spielberger:
The Vikings will reportedly work to keep wide receiver Adam Thielen in the fold going forward, but there is no guarantee the two sides work things out, so here we have them finding a replacement in the speedy D.J. Chark Jr.
Chark is not quite the route-running technician that Thielen has been over his career, but you can always use 4.34-second 40-yard dash speed with a 6-foot-4 frame. Thielen started to show some signs of aging, as well, in 2022, struggling at times to create short-area separation — which had always been a strong suit for him. With Chark, the Vikings get a downfield threat who can take the top off opposing defenses, clearing room for his former LSU teammate in Justin Jefferson and also taking a playmaker away from the division rival Detroit Lions. Tight end T.J. Hockenson will also have more room to operate over the middle.
Over the past four seasons, Chark’s 33 receptions on passes thrown 15-plus yards downfield rank tied for 14th among wide receivers and his 11 touchdown receptions on such passes tie for eighth. This is despite his hardly playing in 2021 due to injury, though injuries have been a bit of a concern during his career.
DJ Chark is criminally underrated. I said it.
Chark’s 14.1-yard average depth of target and 14.5 yards per reception over the past four seasons are both top-20 marks among wide receivers, per Spielberger.
Chark is plenty familiar with several faces in the Vikings organization. Wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell helped Chark become just one of two Jaguars wide receivers to earn a Pro Bowl nod since 2001 — the other being Allen Robinson. Chark worked with McCardell his first three seasons in the league, seasons and earned a Pro Bowl nod in his second season as a pro in 2019.
Chark also played with Jefferson at LSU in 2017.
D.J. Chark Could Be Half the Cost of Adam Thielen
The reason the Vikings are at a crossroads with Thielen is after a pair of contract restructures the past two offseasons that kicked the Minnesota native’s earnings onto later years in his contract.
The cap maneuvers were made to create immediate cap space as the Vikings continue to make a push for the Super Bowl.
However, Thielen, approaching 33 years old, now carries a $19.9 million cap hit that ranks 14th among wide receivers, while his production has slid outside the top 50 players at his position.
On the other hand, Chark, who is looking for a long-term deal after taking a prove-it deal with the Detroit Lions last season, is estimated to garner a contract worth roughly $9.6 million a season, per Spotrac.
Spotrac estimates Chark would garner a three-year, $28.8 million contract in free agency this offseason, which would be an affordable contract that Minnesota could manage even with Jefferson expected to become the highest-paid wide receiver in the league in the coming years.