Why Adam Thielen Is Still Great and Can Be for a Long Time
The story of Adam Thielen is a great Minnesota sports story. You can’t watch a Vikings game without mentioning him being undrafted and playing his college football at Minnesota State. For context, the college has only ever had three players drafted into the NFL. The last one was in 1986! Just to have made it onto the team was an achievement, but Thielen did stop there. Starting on special teams, he worked his way up to being one of the best wide receivers in the league. In this year’s NFL 100, his peers voted him the 80th best player in the league. He was previously voted 33rd and 36th in 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Having turned 31 back in August, people started to talk about how much he had left in the tank. He may not have the big yardage seasons he had in 2017 and 2018 again, but a season similar to the last one will be the blueprint. Seventy-four catches from 108 targets for 925 yards and 14 touchdowns. Only Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill had more receiving touchdowns last season.
Thielen is still the go-to guy in the end zone and on 3rd down. His 14 touchdowns last season were career-high, surpassing 9 in 2018. The question was, can he repeat that level of production?
Starting Where He Left off Last Season
If weeks 1 and 2 are anything to go by, the answer is a resounding yes.
Thielen has already hauled in 3 receiving touchdowns in the opening two weeks. Nobody in the league has more. The Vikings will continue to look towards Thielen in key situations, and I expect him to continue to deliver. His 15 receptions are 4th most league-wide. The 131 yards he’s racked up so far do not put him with the top players in that category. Big plays down the field aren’t going to be Thielen’s primary role as the Vikings will look to Justin Jefferson for the most part for that. Over the first two games, Thielen is averaging 8.7 yards per reception, which is some way down from his historical averages. In past seasons he has never averaged below 12 yards per reception. It is possible that as the season goes on, that average may increase, but I wouldn’t be stunned if it doesn’t.
He is still a key figure in this offense, who I believe will once again be the closest challenger to Dalvin Cook for the number of touchdowns scored. His PFF grades so far this season are around 65, which is respectable but down from where he’s been in recent seasons. Games from Thielen, like the Cincinnati one, in particular, will keep us all very happy, no matter the grades he gets.
A Role Suited for Longevity
Barring injury, Thielen can rely on his football IQ and safe hands to stay relevant. There’s no reason for those skills to drop off suddenly. It’s a role that should provide longevity for Thielen. Blistering speed has never been part of his game, so slowing up with age shouldn’t be a significant factor. He missed several games in 2019 due to a hamstring injury but has stayed relatively healthy since. A thigh bruise kept him out of most of the pre-season action, but he was ready for the start of the season.
Contracted to the Vikings up to the 2025 season, Thielen has, in theory, three more seasons after this one when he will become a free agent at the age of 35. Not many wide receivers go that long. I do think Thielen is the type of player who can. Hopefully, he eventually retires a Viking. I couldn’t imagine him playing anywhere else. Maybe even with a super bowl ring.
A man can dream.