There’s a Hypothetical Adam Thielen Trade Destination
The Carolina Panthers have the NFL’s worst point differential and a horrific 1-5 record after Week 6.
There’s a Hypothetical Adam Thielen Trade Destination
Accordingly, the team could hold a fire sale before the league’s trade deadline, which is precisely three weeks away. And one of the men who could be included is former Minnesota Vikings wideout Adam Thielen.
Thielen is recovering from a hamstring injury but should be healed by November 5th. Some team can likely procure his services for a late-round pick, probably a 6th- or 7th-Rounder. Per CBS Sports, that should be the Pittsburgh Steelers.
CBS Sports‘ Cody Benjamin sized up 10 NFL trades that the world would like to see — including Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce to the Vikings — and for Thielen, that was Pittsburgh.
“The Steelers have been sniffing around blockbuster wideouts this year, from Davante Adams to Brandon Aiyuk, but there are an abundance of lower-tier alternatives who could be available. Thielen is one, coming off an injury at 34 for the Panthers’ stuck-in-mud rebuild,” Benjamin explained and surmised Thielen could be obtained for a conditional 5th-Rounder.
Thielen had just started to cook when Andy Dalton took the reins at QB1 after the early-season woes with Bryce Young at the helm. But the hamstring ailment sidelined the veteran.
Benjamin added, “He’s got a much lower ceiling than a playmaker like Adams, but when healthy, he’s remained one of the NFL’s most surehanded possession targets, making him a logical partner for the more explosive George Pickens in Pittsburgh’s otherwise old-school attack.”
Thielen, 34, would basically morph into a “rental” for a playoff-contending club. It is unclear if this season is Thielen’s last or if he’ll return somewhere in 2025 for one last hurrah. The Steelers have a 4-2 record through six weeks, so adding a veteran like Thielen makes sense. These are the Steelers wide receivers at the moment:
- George Pickens
- Calvin Austin
- Van Jefferson
- Scotty Miller
- Roman Wilson
Beyond the shadow of a doubt, that WR room feels like a place that needs Thielen.
The Vikings, too, could be a team to monitor amid a Thielen sweepstakes. While WR3 Jalen Nailor has performed well in 2024, Thielen’s surehandedness would be [re]welcomed within Kevin O’Connell’s offense with open arms. When Thielen departed a year and a half ago, it was because Minnesota no longer deemed him a WR2, and his cap hit approached $20 million. Re-upping with Thielen as a WR3 or WR4 is a different animal.
The NFL’s trade bonanza began Tuesday when the New York Jets acquired Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders.
Vikings Re-Up with Familiar Defender
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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