Former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen may not be calling it quits just yet.
Despite announcing his retirement a week ago after the Pittsburgh Steelers were eliminated from the AFC playoffs, Thielen admitted that he’s having second thoughts on making a comeback, especially if it involves golf buddy Aaron Rodgers.
Adam Thielen Reconsiders Retirement, Especially if Aaron Rodgers Sticks Around NFL
Appearing on the “Pardon My Take,” podcast, Thielen hinted at his desire to unretire when addressing whether Rodgers will hang it up this offseason.
“I think my wife hopes he retires, because if he doesn’t, I might come out of retirement,” Thielen said with a laugh on the January 21 episode. “He can still do it for sure. I think for him it’s gonna come down to, I would imagine, I don’t wanna speak for him, but it’ll come down to just whether he wants to or not. I think he can definitely do it.”
While Thielen only spent a few months with Rodgers in Pittsburgh, the two have a history from Rodgers’ days with the Green Bay Packers and playing golf together in the offseason.
Thielen, 35, is as competitive as they come and admitted he would have a hard time turning down the opportunity to return if a team came calling.
“Let’s say it’s the end of October, November, and a team calls and has a need at receiver, that’s gonna be a tough one,” Thielen said. “But I also have been so all-in for so long that I’ve taken my offseason training so seriously. I’m not gonna do that. So I just don’t think that at that point I would feel good about playing at a high level. So I’ll never say never, but I feel really good about where I’m at.”
Vikings, Aaron Rodgers Flirtation Sees New Wrinkle With Adam Thielen
The Rodgers-to-Minnesota timeline has been told ever since there were inklings of his leaving Green Bay and following in the footsteps of Brett Favre.
And while Rodgers has done his best to step out of Favre’s shadow, fate cannot be outrun forever.
Last offseason, Rodgers’ camp called Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell about the prospect of him landing in Minnesota. It was clear the Vikings were Rodgers’ first choice in free agency as his decision dragged on for weeks.
“He happened to be at a point in time in his career where he was free to have some real dialogue about what his future may look like,” O’Connell said, addressing last offseason’s rumors. “And we happened to be one of those teams that he reached out to. And I have had a personal relationship with him going back since my playing days.”
Meanwhile, Minnesota was mulling over whether J.J. McCarthy, coming off meniscus surgery, would be ready to start Week 1 of the 2025 season. The Vikings ultimately stood by McCarthy, in what proved to be a difficult season for the team led by a young quarterback.
Minnesota is weary to make that same mistake twice. Both O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah expressed that adding competition to the quarterback room would be a priority this offseason, reopening the door for potential veteran quarterbacks, including Rodgers.
If the prophecy becomes fulfilled this time around, it would not be surprising to see Thielen come home for a third time.
Ex-Vikings WR Adam Thielen Reconsiders Retirement Amid Rodgers Decision