Today, Adam Thielen Becomes a Longer Tenured Viking than Randy Moss
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen grew so much from folklorish roots in the North Star State that many NFL fans nationwide know of his unlikely rise to stardom.
The All-Pro and Pro Bowl pass-catcher began his collegiate career at Minnesota State University in 2009 when the Vikings sprinted to the NFC Championship led by Brett Favre. Five years later, Thielen would join the Vikings in a special teams capacity
About two years after that, Thielen seized the starting wide receiver job alongside Stefon Diggs. Thielen became Mr. Minnesota — born in the state, remaining there for high school, college, and at the professional level.
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Today, Thielen steals another unofficial claim-to-fame. When a foot hits the leather of the football for a kickoff this afternoon, Thielen will have played more games for the Vikings than Randy Moss, who Thielen watched and admired as a youngster.
Moss spent slightly over seven seasons with the Vikings (1998-2004, 2010), notably joining the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots after a seismic first act in Minnesota. Moss was re-acquired in 2010 for a few minutes before a messy split with the team’s now-notorious head coach, Brad Childress.
All told, Moss ranks fourth in the NFL all-time for receiving yards and second in receiving touchdowns. Thielen has a long way to go in threatening those marks, but he does rank seventh in Vikings all-time receiving yards and sixth in franchise history for receiving touchdowns. In both Vikings-only metrics, Moss is second fiddle to Cris Carter, who played for the Vikings longer than Moss.
In addition to grabbing the longer-tenured Viking recognition on Sunday, Thielen’s Vikings hope to topple the Los Angeles Chargers (5-3). Very little has gone according to plan for the 2021 Vikings, so a win is all but required in Tinsletown if Minnesota wants to resurrect this season.
Interestingly, If the Atlanta Falcons lose to the Cowboys in Dallas and the Carolina Panthers lose in Arizona to the Cardinals — while the Vikings, in theory, take care of business in Los Angeles, Minnesota would be the seventh seed in the NFC playoff picture by bedtime on Sunday. That’s how tight the NFC playoff picture sits through 10 weeks.
But no matter what happens, Thielen will be “more of a Viking” than Hall of Famer Randy Moss by late afternoon, per games played.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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