Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen
Adam Thielen may have parted ways with the Minnesota Vikings last season, but his presence in Minnesota has led to some belief that he could eventually make his way back to the Vikings.
Thielen spent the summer working out with Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Their workouts in the Twin Cities metro have been well-documented, leading to some chatter about whether Thielen would be open to a reunion with the Vikings.
“Adam Thielen is still under contract in Carolina, but he’s been working out with J.J. McCarthy. And if he ends up getting cut in Carolina, I guess I wouldn’t be stunned by that,” Star Tribune beat reporter Ben Goessling said July 20 on KFAN radio. “I mean, it certainly would make some sense for him to come back… And I think [the Vikings would] have some interest in that if that ever were to come up… I think the relationship is such that maybe if that would come up, that could be an option for him at some point.”
WR Adam Thielen and #Vikings rookie QB J.J. McCarthy continue to the grind this offseason together 😤
🎥: @athielen19 / IG
Panthers Unlikely to Cut Ex-Vikings WR Adam Thielen
GettyAdam Thielen during a Panthers preseason game in 2023.
While it would be a welcomed reunion in Minnesota, the odds of Thielen’s return to the Vikings are slim.
He’s currently in the second year of a three-year, $25 million deal with the Carolina Panthers and has $8.17 million guaranteed this season that the Panthers would have to eat if they release him.
The Panthers did make some meaningful improvements to the wide receiver room after Thielen led the group at the age of 33 last season. They traded for Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Diontae Johnson and selected Xavier Legette in the first round of April’s draft.
Thielen’s role isn’t going to disappear with those additions. He proved he still has some tread left, tying Steve Smith’s franchise single-season receptions record, reeling in 103 catches for 1,014 yards, the most by any Panthers receiver since 2018.
The Minnesota native has shown to be largely a team-first player who wants to win, but if there were any concerns with his role, the Panthers would likely prefer to trade him and avoid eating that dead cap.
Carolina would be on the hook for just $1.67 million of his $9.92 million cap hit this season if they trade Thielen — although it’s highly unlikely they’ll move on from him this season.
Adam Thielen Praises Vikings Rookie J.J McCarthy
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings.
Thielen joining the Vikings this season seems more like a pipedream than a reality, but that doesn’t discount the potential for a reunion at some point in the coming years — especially given his early rapport with McCarthy.
“He’s got all the tools, that’s for sure,” Thielen said on KFAN’s “#92Noon!” radio show on July 1. “He can sling it. He’s super accurate. We’re in shorts and some T-shirts out there. But, yeah, that you can see a lot just from accuracy timing and those kind of things when you’re running routes on air.”
Thielen and McCarthy had several workouts together throughout July. While they both go off to their respective training camps, there’s a good chance they’ll pick up where they left off next summer as well.
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Vikings Interested in Potential Reunion With 2-Time Pro Bowler, Insider Says