Other Shoe Drops on Miserable Vikings Trade
The Minnesota Vikings were a game too late to retrieve a 6th-Round draft pick return as a part of their ill-fated deal for Adam Thielen three months ago. With Thielen now playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the other shoe has dropped.
The other shoe has dropped on a miserable Vikings trade, as the team receives only a 7th-round pick instead of a 6th-round return.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah dropped the ball, too — by one game.
Vikings Left Out in the Cold for Adam Thielen Trade — Twice
The Thielen trade is horrid all around
Thielen Played 11 Games; The Stipulation Was 10 Games
The Charlotte Observer’s Mike Clay clarified this week after Thielen signed with the Steelers: “Forgot to update this last week: Thielen has now played 11 games. Conditional pick is solidified as a seventh-round selection from Panthers.”
Meanwhile, SI.com‘s Albert Breer lifted up the full package for Carolina’s haul, “The Panthers turned their seventh-rounder this year into a fifth-rounder, and their fifth-rounder in 2027 into a fourth-rounder in the trade (All picks are the teams’ slotted picks). Thielen had 8 catches for 69 yards this year for the Vikings.”
So, yes — the Vikings got got.
Trade Was Somehow Egregious from Head to Toe
Because of Thielen’s age — 35 — the trade from August was strange from the onset. But because Minnesota needed a WR2 during Jordan Addison’s three-game suspension, most fans shrugged. In hindsight, the initial reaction of bewilderment was justified.
Fast forward three months, and Thielen is off the team. He had the 10-game threshold for Minnesota to receive a 6th-Round pick from the trade. But because the Vikings waived him after 11 games — not 10 — it’s a 7th-R0under.
Although Thielen didn’t request the waiver until after 11 games, the pick would have been a 6th-Rounder if Minnesota had dropped him one game sooner.
Thielen’s New Outlook in PIT
In Pittsburgh, Thielen has a real path to WR2 usage. The reason is apparent: compared to most NFL rooms, the Steelers’ wideouts are weak. It’s D.K. Metcalf at WR1 — and then a cluster of guys who would be fringe pieces elsewhere.
His direct competition is Calvin Austin, Roman Wilson, and Ben Skowronek. None profile as steady long-term producers. Thielen can take the WR2 job for a stretch and keep it for a month or so.
There’s also the Aaron Rodgers factor. Rodgers constantly feeds “his guys,” and the veteran quarterback has a years-long relationship with Thielen. Rodgers could empower Thielen in ways the Vikings staff never did.
The Current 2026 Draft Cabinet View
With the Thielen trade accepted as a gaffe by virtually everyone, here’s a look at next year’s draft cabinet:
- 1st-Round
- 2nd-Round
- 3rd-Round
- 3rd-Round (probably compensatory)
- 5th-Round
- 5th-Round (from PHI)
- 6th-Round (from NYJ)
- 6th-Round (from HOU)
- 7th-Round
It’s a fuller piggybank than last year, that’s for damn sure. The 3rd-Round compensatory pick will come in handy, courtesy of Sam Darnold’s free-agent departure last March. The same situation happened with Kirk Cousins in 2025, and Minnesota used the draft pick on wide receiver Tai Felton, who barely plays on offense. Perhaps the Vikings’ front office will make a wiser choice with the comp pick this go-round.
Kyle Joudry on the Trade Carnage
Our Kyle Joudry added some Thielen trade insights this week: “At best, the Vikings trade for Adam Thielen was misguided. At worst, the swap was a desperate disaster that lacked foresight. In reality, the truth rests in the middle, as it often does. Without question, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah struck out.”
“He swung the bat, avoiding the dreaded backwards “K,” but he struck out nevertheless. Looking back, a far better approach would have been to dip into the cap space — drawing out $1 to $2 million — to sign a WR4 who could get bumped up to WR3 in a pinch.”
Vikings fans must now simply hope that Adofo-Mensah has learned the errors of his ways.
“Doing so would have saved more cap room while keeping the draft picks beefier. Ideally, the receiver would be someone who can block defensive backs into oblivion. Even better would be someone who could help on specials, but that’s asking for quite a lot in late August. Instead, Thielen came to town, becoming a non-factor,” Joudry continued.
“He even dropped several passes, removing the facet of his game — possessing a silky pair of mitts — that should persist despite getting older.”
Thielen will retire when the Steelers’ season caps.
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