After nine seasons in Minnesota, the Vikings released wide receiver Adam Thielen on March 10. Thielen, who they signed as an undrafted free agent in 2013, signed with the Carolina Panthers on a three year contract nine days later. He holds the fourth spot in Viking receiving yards all time, third in receiving touchdowns, and a place as a fan favorite in Minnesota legend. With his career in purple and gold officially at a close, let’s look back at his five best moments.
2014 Week 13 vs. Carolina: Blocked Punt for a Touchdown
Thielen made the 53 man roster for the first time in 2014, and served on special teams through much of the year. In week 13, he picked up his first professional touchdown. With the Panthers at their own 43, Thielen surged through the line and deflected the ball with his chest. From there, he picked up and ran it back for a 30 yard touchdown. At the end of the season, Thielen would earn all-pro kick return honors, and NFC North special teams player of the year by Pro Football Focus. It was a glimpse of his talented play to come, and his versatility that made him valuable.
2019 Wild Card at New Orleans: Clutch catch sets up victory
The Vikings found themselves in a dogfight with the New Orleans Saints on wild card weekend 2019, with a 20-20 game heading into overtime. At the Saints 45 yard line, Kirk Cousins unloaded a 43 yard bomb that Thielen caught inside the five. Shortly after, Cousins hit Kyle Rudolph for a game-winning touchdown that sent the Vikings on to San Francisco. Thielen had a fantastic game overall-129 yards on seven receptions. Though he never had a deep playoff run in Minnesota, he was reliable as always in key situations.
2016 Week 16 at Green Bay: Breakout game in Lambeau
Thielen’s first season playing regularly in the offense saw him break out for 967 yards and five touchdowns, but a good chunk of it came against the Packers at Lambeau. Thielen went off for 202 yards and two touchdowns, including a 71 yard bomb from Sam Bradford. It was the most by a Vikings wide receiver since Percy Harvin five seasons prior, and the fifth 200 yard receiving game in Minnesota history at the time. While he failed to crack 1,000 yards in 2016, week 16 was an undeniable coming out party.
2022 Week 12 vs. New England: Good game, bad turkey
In his final Minnesota season, Thielen had a solid performance against the Patriots on Thanksgiving day. He capped a 62 yard performance with a 15 yard touchdown that earned the Vikings a come from behind win. More interesting was the postgame turkey tradition with Cousins and Justin Jefferson. Thielen seemingly joked that the turkey was “a little dry” before he stepped off screen. The camera swang over to see him spit it out, to the delight of Jefferson. To be fair, Kirk looked rather unhappy about his bite too.
2018 Week 8 vs. New Orleans: Absurd catch over the safety
In the middle of Thielen’s best season as a Viking, he had an unbelievable highlight-reel catch against the Saints. On third and five, Thielen reached behind the helmet of Saints safety P.J. Williams to grab the ball-while in mid air. The broadcast still shot captured it perfectly, with Thielen almost sitting on top of Williams to make the catch. It ultimately didn’t mean much, as the Vikings lost 30-20 and would miss the playoffs, but it was a special moment for the peak of his Minnesota career.
