Adam Thielen Gets a Bizarre New Job Within Second Vikings Chapter
Adam Thielen is in town to become the WR2. He’ll slide down to being the WR3 once Jordan Addison returns, likely becoming one of the NFL’s better third receivers.
What’s surprising is that there’s apparently a role to play on specials, too.
The Vikings’ website has offered an updated depth chart, one that has removed the disclaimer at the top about things getting adjusted before the Bears game. Very little comes as a surprise. Or, at least, that’s until scrolling down to the punt returner spot. Myles Price is still the top option, but he’s being supported by Mr. Thielen.
Adam Thielen: WR2 & PR2
Worth remembering, perhaps, that Thielen got his career off the ground as a special teams talent.
He wasn’t drafted. Instead, he impressed as a tryout player before becoming an undrafted add. There was a reserve/future contract. He got onto the 53-man roster and popped on special teams. Most notably, there was the punt block and the touchdown that followed. Apparently, the NFL wasn’t too large for the kid from Detroit Lakes.
Go ahead and relive the moment, if you feel so inclined. Consider the timing to get the block, the poise to scoop up the ball, and the hustle to put points on the board. Tremendously impressive:
Before too long, Adam Thielen would become one of the NFL’s best receivers. He is larger than most realize, standing at 6’2″ and weighing 195 pounds. He moves well, is an excellent route runner, and has wonderful mitts. Add it all together it’s no wonder he developed into a great receiver.
What’s odd at this stage is that Adam Thielen is now being looked at as the backup punt returner.
Yes, there is a history on specials, but that’s something that exists there: in history. Mr. Thielen is 35 — older than some high-level coaches in the NFL — who has twelve years of NFL experience. He has been to a pair of Pro Bowls and was a second-team All Pro in 2017. How often does a player with that résumé get tossed into the backup punt returner job?
The other odd component is that we’re not talking about someone who was elite in this area way back when. Goodness, he barely has any experience as a returner. Throughout his long, impressive career that has involved 162 games, Adam Thielen has 6 punt returns for 8 yards. Total. That’s an average sitting at 1.3 yards per return with a career high sitting at 9 yards. He has never brought a punt back for double digit yards.
So, bizarre.
The upside could simply be that Mr. Thielen is ultra responsible. Myles Price appears to be someone who can add value as a returner who is poised and explosive. Standing behind the rookie UDFA is a veteran UDFA, someone who has seen it all and who won’t be intimidated. Maybe the pair makes sense.
The Vikings, in their ideal world, won’t need to put Adam Thielen back at punt returner. Let the veteran focus on helping J.J. McCarthy acclimate to life in the NFL. If, however, someone needs to step in at PR, the Vikings’ depth chart suggests that Thielen will get the call.
The Vikings take on the Bears on Monday Night Football at Soldier Field.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
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