Adam Thielen Catches some Criticism for “Antics” and “Hissy Fit” from Respected Film Analyst
Currently, Adam Thielen is devoting his time toward helping Bryce Young acclimate to life in the NFL.
Before venturing to Carolina, though, Thielen established himself as a local legend in Minnesota. Most fans already know the story (or at least the abridged version). The UDFA scraped and clawed his way onto the Vikings roster, starting as a special teams contributor before earning his reps for the offense. At his best, Thielen was surpassing 100 receptions and 1,300 receiving yards (2018). So, some sensational stuff.
J.T. O’Sullivan is less than impressed with Thielen, though. Or, at the very least, not very impressed by how the veteran is conducting himself when the ball doesn’t get sent in his direction.
Adam Thielen and The Criticism from The QB School
On YouTube, The QB School boasts 239,000 subscribers and a total view count that’s surpassing 22,000,000. Clearly, J.T. O’Sullivan has something figured out. Take a look at the word on O’Sullivan: “The QB School is unique because it provides in-depth analysis directly from the former NFL QB that played for more NFL offenses than any other QB in NFL history—11 organizations.”
In my experience, The QB School offers excellent content.
Reasonably enough, a YouTube channel devoted to breaking down QB tape wants to see what the draft’s 1st overall selection has to offer. To help promote the videos, O’Sullivan will share short clips on social media, functioning as an appetizer to the full meal that exists on YouTube.
One of the clips that made the rounds on social media featured O’Sullivan voicing some concerns about a pair of Panthers receivers. He thinks the receiver at the top of the video “quits” on the deep ball, contributing to the incompletion.
At the bottom of the video, though, is Mr. Thielen, beloved Minnesota legend. Thielen gets open but doesn’t get the target. The end result is the receiver tossing his hands in the air, a move that expresses some disappointment for not having the ball barrelling toward his hands. The former NFL QB isn’t impressed.
“The other part, and probably the more disturbing part, if that’s possible,” O’Sullivan says, “is whatever the antics are down here by 19 at the bottom. I get it: you’re going to open sometimes and not get the ball. To throw little hissy fits like this? I’m telling ya, it’s not going to work on film.”
Shortly thereafter, O’Sullivan critiques Thielen for “flailing” his “arms around like a child.” Check out the social media post to hear the other thoughts, but be forewarned there’s some adult language. And, of course, interested readers can check out the full Bryce Young analysis on YouTube.
Since the Vikings have already played, fans in Minnesota will have the luxury of being able to easily peruse all that the NFL has to offer on Sunday and Monday. Those looking to tune in to see how Thielen does will need to wait until Monday Night Football when the Panthers take on the Saints.
The receiver’s Panthers debut finished with just 2 catches for 12 yards. Part of the reason for Thielen’s departure in Minnesota stemmed from his belief that he was still capable of playing a featured role in an NFL offense. As the season unfolds, we’ll gain a clearer view of what Thielen has left.
The veteran receiver hasn’t surpassed 1,000 receiving yards since 2018.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.
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