Adam Thielen really wanted to return to his home state and the Minnesota Vikings. It is the organization where he began his NFL journey. Thielen wanted the return so much that he is still making concessions, helping ease the burden on the Vikings.
The Vikings face a murky financial outlook next season. Even if Thielen is gone then, the Vikings could need to make other moves this season, so every little bit helps.
In the intermediate, Thielen is giving back some of the roughly $7 million he is owed.
“The #Vikings and WR Adam Thielen have agreed to terms on a revised contract, reducing his salary by $2 million and removing $4M in incentives, per sources,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on X on August 30. “This wasn’t about money — Thielen wanted to come home, and volunteered to help the team’s salary cap to make it happen.”
Thielen was on a one-year, $8.7 million contract with the Carolina Panthers.
He had already received $1.7 million from the Panthers. Of that, $1.5 million was in the form of a roster bonus paid out in March. The deal also originally included a $6.2 million base salary and $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses.
Thielen, 35, who has $83.6 million in career earnings, had made it abundantly clear that he wanted to return to the Vikings if at all possible.
Panthers GM Gets Honest About Adam Thielen Trade With Vikings
GettyAdam Thielen #19 of the Carolina Panthers smiles before playing the Dallas Cowboys.
Thielen spoke highly about his desire to return to the Vikings, with whom he signed as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State in 2013, and Panthers general manager Dan Morgan revealed just how determined the two-time Pro Bowler was.
Morgan said the Vikings initiated contact and that he wanted to be “transparent” with the veteran. He cited his experience as a player.
“I called Adam to my office, and I let him know that they called. I asked him if he would have interest in going back there. He said that he would,” Morgan told reporters on August 28. “Once he told me that he was very intrigued, very excited of the possibility of going there and, basically, ending his career where it first started. And that’s where he lives, too. He has a house. So I knew, and I could tell that he was really excited about the possibility that that might happen.”
Morgan said he told Thielen he would not “give you away,” saying he is a “really good receiver” and a “really good leader.” The Vikings sent a 2026 fifth-round pick with a 2027 fourth-rounder to the Panthers for Thielen as a seventh-round selection in next year’s draft.
“Glad it worked out,” Morgan said of the deal. “It felt like we got the compensation that we wanted to get, and at the same time, he can go and continue his career and end his career where it first started. So, I guess you can say it’s a little bit of a win-win for both sides. Everybody’s happy.
Morgan said the Panthers will “miss” Thielen, who is one year removed from a 1,000-yard receiving season as he returns to the Vikings.
Vikings Need Vintage Adam Thielen
GettyAdam Thielen #19 of the Carolina Panthers warms up before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Despite diminished production in 2024 compared to 2023, Thielen remained an asset for Panthers quarterback Bryce Young in his second season, and the Vikings hope he will do the same for their young passer, J.J. McCarthy.
Thielen and McCarthy have worked out together in back-to-back offseasons, so they already have chemistry on the field.
Thielen also played for the Vikings under head coach Kevin O’Connell in 2022.
The fourth-round selection could prove an even steeper cost than it seems in the immediate aftermath. Still, the Vikings got a well-respected, trustworthy veteran who wants to be there and understands his role in Thielen.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Vikings Catch Significant Break After Adam Thielen Trade appeared first on Heavy Sports.