Adam Thielen didn’t stay a free agent for long after the Minnesota Vikings waived him on December 1. The very next day, the Pittsburgh Steelers claimed the veteran wide receiver off waivers.
Pittsburgh, still competing in the AFC North, is seeking every possible advantage down the stretch. Thielen had just come back to Minnesota before the 2025 NFL season, rejoining the Vikings in late August following a trade from the Carolina Panthers.
On December 4, Thielen spoke with the media after joining the Steelers, and he shared his emotions about leaving Minnesota.
“Extremely tough,” Theilen told reporters. “It really wore on me mentally. Very, very, very tough. But again, just excited to have an opportunity. Very thankful for this organization and the people. Actually, today I said, ‘Man, I’ve had so many powerful conversations since I’ve got here, and zero of those powerful conversations had to do with football.’ So I’m very thankful for that.”
Adam Thielen’s Wife Talks Vikings Release
When the Vikings announced that Thielen’s second run in Minnesota had ended and he would be joining the Steelers, his wife explained why he was seeking a fresh start, since he will be retiring after this final NFL season.
“It’s not even about wins or losses, it’s about Adam wanting to compete, wanting to play,” Caitlin said on an Instagram video (h/t VikingzFanPage). “This is his last season… I know him as a competitor, he wants to compete, wants to play, wants to prove, he’s always been about proving people, proving to himself.”
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah revealed that Thielen’s agent requested a release the week before Week 13. The 35-year-old receiver wanted a chance to make a bigger impact during the final weeks of his last season before retirement.
“Since this past Spring, I knew this was going to be my last season playing in the National Football League,” Thielen wrote in a post on social media (h/t ESPN). “Given that, the Vikings allowed me the opportunity to go compete elsewhere for the last few weeks of my career.”
Thielen steps into a Steelers wide receiver group that already features DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Ben Skowronek, Ke’Shawn Williams, and Scotty Miller.
Mike Florio Doesn’t Hold Back on Steelers Grabbing Adam Thielen
With Thielen joining the Steelers, NBC Sports NFL insider Mike Florio thinks the wide receiver likely wasn’t eager to head to Pittsburgh.
“Poor Thielen, like Brandon Cooks was able to get through waivers and sign with any team he wanted,” Florio said on the December 3 edition of “Pro Football Talk.” “The belief is he would prefer a Super Bowl contender, and the Steelers clearly are not that, nor is Thielen going to turn them into one. Still, he was claimed on waivers one day after being released by the Vikings.
“Welcome to Pittsburgh, Adam Thielen. Enjoy the five games with the Steelers. He has said he plans to retire after the season, and while he might get one more game, it’s hard to see him getting more than that once the regular season ends.”
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