Adam Thielen’s Bittersweet New Chapter
Adam Thielen wanted the hell off the Minnesota Vikings’ roster a few weeks ago — and the franchise that made him famous granted his wish. Now, Thielen plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team barreling toward the playoffs, while Thielen personally is doing next to nothing on offense.
He didn’t go to the Steelers to be a ceremonial name on the depth chart, but that’s what this season is starting to resemble.
It’s a bittersweet setup for the 35-year-old: heading to the postseason for a final time but not really being asked to contribute in a meaningful capacity.
Adam Thielen’s Pittsburgh Usage Feels Like the Real Story
Thielen has some sweet-and-sour dealings at the moment.
Two Catches for 11 Yards in 2 Games with PIT
Thielen arrived in Pittsburgh two weeks ago with visions of an individual breakout that the Vikings had allegedly denied him. Minnesota used Thielen sparingly on offense, and when targeted in the offense, Thielen often dropped passes.
His outlook for the remainder of the season wasn’t ideal, and he asked for his release, which the Vikings granted after Week 13.
Latching onto Pittsburgh’s playoff-bound roster, Thielen believed his usage and production would spike. He has two catches for 11 yards with Aaron Rodgers throwing the ball in his direction. If Thielen still has plenty of gas left in the tank, that would mean that two coaching staffs now fundamentally misunderstand him.
But Two Wins in PIT
So, why is Thielen in a bittersweet situation? We know the bitter — 2 catches — what’s the sweet?
His team is winning. Despite his lack of production, Pittsburgh has won two games with Thielen in the house, firmly putting a stranglehold on playoff aspirations. Before Thielen arrived in Pittsburgh, although there’s likely no correlation, the Steelers were spiraling.
As it stands, Pittsburgh has a 66% chance of reaching the postseason. If it takes care of business at home this weekend against the underachieving Detroit Lions — a team Thielen knows intimately — that playoff math will climb to 81%.
Thielen’s Steelers basically have to win two of their three remaining games to play in the postseason. Losing two of three would reduce the probability to about 25%. Losing all three would end the playoff dream.
But unlike Thielen’s outlook with the Vikings, the Steelers control their playoff fate. Win two, and they’re in.
Vikings Obviously Weren’t the Problem
It’s also worth noting that the Vikings’ offense and coaching staff were not the problem regarding Thielen.
In the shadows, some whispered that Thielen might pop upon arriving in Pittsburgh, now playing with longtime buddy Aaron Rodgers. Had Thielen shown up in the AFC North and immediately begun posting 100+ yards games, for example, Minnesota’s offensive coaches would look like stooges, aloof for not letting Thielen prosper.
That is not the case through two games. Vikings-Thielen is the same as Steelers-Thielen. A guy who is probably slowing down because of age. It happens.
Vikings Start Winning when Thielen Leaves
Comically, the moment Thielen left the team, Minnesota’s offense turned a corner, quarterback J.J. McCarthy saw a lightbulb flicker, and the Vikings won some games. They blew out the Washington Commanders behind three touchdown passes from McCarthy and a scorchingly hot defense.
Then, last weekend, Minnesota did the same on offense against the Dallas Cowboys, scoring an eight-point upset in a game it was supposed to lose by six points, according to oddsmakers.
While Thielen will remain a legend in Vikings lore — nothing will change that — he is not missed right now. He did nothing beneficial in 2025.
Steelers in Power Rankings
Pittsburgh is evidently the 13th-best team in the NFL at the moment, says NFL.com.
Eric Edholm assigned the power ranking this week and explained, “The Steelers dawdled around for much of the first half, unable to convert a third down to save their lives, but they flipped the switch just before halftime, logging the first of four straight touchdown drives in a dominant heel turn against the Dolphins.”
“The run game started cooking in the second half, and Aaron Rodgers had a good night distributing the ball around. DK Metcalf scored his first TD since Week 8, and Jaylen Warren had an all-around strong night. Losing LG Isaac Seumalo for any length of time would be a blow, but LT Dylan Cook stood tall in his first NFL start.”
Detroit is favored by a touchdown to defeat Pittsburgh this weekend.
“The AFC North still likely hinges on the Week 18 game against the Ravens, assuming Baltimore keeps winning, but the Steelers maintained their one-game lead, with a still-tough assignment on tap this Sunday at Detroit,” Edholm concluded.
Thielen has stated that 2025 is his final season, so he has three regular season games left in his career, plus the postseason.
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