Adam Thielen Acknowledges the Unthinkable
The end is near for Adam Thielen — and it might even be this year.
Adam Thielen Acknowledges the Unthinkable
The beloved former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver will turn 35 in August, which is already quite elderly in NFL-speak.
And this week, Thielen informed The Athletic that 2025 may be his final campaign.
Adam Thielen Says 2025 Could Be Final Season
Thielen told The Athletic‘s Joe Person this week about 2025 as possibly his last hurrah: “It could be, yeah. I mean, I told you guys that at the end of the season — like every year — you look back and you say, ‘What left do I have to give to this game?’ I’ve talked to my family, and they wanted me to keep playing, and so it will be the same process.”
“Not going to think about that right now, I’m being the best football player that I can possibly be, and you have to have that mindset in this league. And then once the season’s over, you know, evaluate, see where we’re at – see where the team’s at…and figure it out. But definitely winding down my career. But excited about this year and what could happen.”
If Thielen follows through on retirement next January or February, it will be 12 NFL seasons for the ex-Viking or 13 if one counts his 2013 campaign, where he didn’t play in the regular season.
Legacy with the Vikings
Thielen doesn’t need much of an introduction regarding his Vikings career. He grew up cheering for the purple team and found his way to a roster tryout in 2013. He seized the opportunity, and by 2016, he’d developed into a full-time wide receiver.
The 2014 and 2015 seasons were used to hone his special teams craft, but before too long, Mike Zimmer’s coaching staff realized he could thrive as a legitimate wide receiver.
Along with Stefon Diggs, Thielen did precisely that, morphing into a Top 15 NFL wide receiver by the end of 2017. Thielen then logged his career-best output in 2018 with 1,373 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns.
If one polled any Vikings fan from 2017 to 2022, Thielen would almost certainly be named in the Top 3 of player fandom. He’s that cherished.
Thielen left the Vikings after the 2022 campaign, as new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah leaned into the meaty section of his “competitive rebuild,” and Thielen wasn’t too keen on accepting a paycut. He landed in Carolina with the Panthers, his current employer.
The Mentor Role
Upon entering the mix for Carolina, Thielen became an elder statesman, helping to get the Bryce Young era off the ground in 2023. Young struggled mightily out of the gate, failing to match his draft-mate counterpart, C.J. Stroud, per rookie production. But in 2024, Young seemed to turn the corner and might even be neck and neck with Stroud per career trajectory.
The Panthers drafted wide receiver Xavier Legette in 2024 and Tetairoa McMillan last week, so Thielen has totally transformed into a Panthers mentor.
He seems to enjoy the role, evidenced by not chasing Super Bowl rings with a team like the Kansas City Chiefs or the Philadelphia Eagles.
Panthers-Themed Media Loves Thielen
Folks who cover the Panthers adore Thielen. SI.com’s Tim Weaver wrote Saturday, “If the last seven years has taught us anything, it should be that the Carolina Panthers need all the Adam Thielen that they can get. Not only is Thielen the best pass-catcher on the roster by a significant distance, he’s exactly the kind of player that you want to build a winning culture around.”
“The respect that Thielen commands from his teammates is easy to see on display anytime that they talk about him. How the depth chart develops from there will depend a great deal on how the younger receivers on the roster develop — especially top-10 pick Tetairoa McMillan, 2024 first-rounder Xavier Legette and undrafted standout Jalen Coker.”
Carolina is expected to win six or seven games in 2025.
Weaver added, “In an ideal world, one of those guys (likely McMillan) will grow into Bryce Young’s favorite target, establishing himself as the WR1 going forward no matter what happens with Thielen. If Thielen does decide to retire after this coming season, the Panthers should try to keep him in the building – if not as a valuable veteran role player then in some kind of coaching capacity.”
“Precious few players really WANT to be in Carolina these days — and Thielen is one of them. That other players have begun taking their cues from him is a good sign that the culture they want is growing.”
Thielen Earlier This Offseason
Thielen told Panthers.com in February, “When you’re part of something, I always said the reason I came to Carolina in the first place was I wanted to be part of building something. So if that wasn’t being built and I didn’t see that it was progressing and going in the right direction, it would have been a lot easier to be like, all right, I’m ready to move on and start the next part of my life.”
“But when you start to see that progression, I would hate to be part of building and then not be a part of the next step. So hopefully things keep progressing, and I can be a part of the end of the building process.”
The man knows his role — and relishes it.
Vikings Rumors over Last Couple of Seasons
When the Panthers underperformed in recent seasons, some have speculated that Thielen could end up back in Minnesota, either via trade or free agency.
Depending on the wins and losses for Carolina before this year’s trade deadline, 2025 could be no different. For example, if the Panthers have a 3-5 record or something similar in late October while the Vikings have an injured wide receiver, the rumor mill for Thielen will ignite.
He’s that treasured in Vikings lore and might be eight months from retirement.
Thielen received a pay bump in March.
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