Paying Adam Thielen
With 98 receptions so far, Thielen is currently leading the entire NFL in catches. The Vikings receiver is also making around $6 million this season, which is less than what guys like Kelvin Benjamin, Jordy Nelson, Travis Benjamin, and Mohamed Sanu are getting paid this year.
Thielen is due to make a similar amount in 2019. But based on his outstanding production this season, Minnesota is likely going to award him with a lucrative extension sometime in 2019.
How much more money the Vikings will end up giving Thielen during the offseason is still anyone’s guess.
He is definitely worth the cash Minnesota gave his buddy Stefon Diggs in July (around $14 million per year). However, with the numbers Thielen is putting up this season, his agent may try and get him an extension that is similar to what guys like Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham, and Brandin Cooks recently signed (around $17 million per season).
Whatever the Vikings receiver and the team eventually agree on, his new salary will likely end up being among the highest in the NFL at his position.