The agent of the current Minnesota Vikings wide receiver commented on Tuesday about his client’s current contract and what he thinks he deserves moving forward.
A year after earning a Second-Team All-Pro selection, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen went out and had himself a record-breaking campaign during the 2018 season. Thielen finished the year with career-highs in catches (113), yards (1,373), and touchdowns (nine).
Thanks to the contract he signed in 2017, the Vikings receiver is scheduled to only make around $8 million for next season. A number of pass catchers around the NFL are set to be paid more than Thielen in 2019 including Kenny Stills, Marvin Jones, Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson, and Emmanuel Sanders.
Based on his impressive production in each of the last two years, it’s not crazy to imagine that the Minnesota receiver would like to see his pay take an increase before the start of next season.
During an appearance on a local Twin Cities radio station on Tuesday, Thielen’s agent Blake Baratz was asked about the chance of his client getting a new contract from the Vikings this offseason.
"“I’m cautiously optimistic that everyone will come around and do the right thing. No one’s being greedy. Everyone understands the situation and it’s really in (the Vikings’) court. I mean he has a couple years left on his deal. He’s earned a significant pay raise. Not to mention when he’s off the field, he might be one of the best people in the entire National Football League and represents the city and the organization and the state, and frankly, the entire region unbelievably.”"
So there it is. It’s pretty obvious that Thielen and his agent believe he deserves a new lucrative deal from Minnesota and honestly, he’s earned what he’s asking for.
The chances of this actually happening this year seem pretty high. Thielen is a hometown guy, he is adored by the majority of the Vikings’ fan base, he’s still in the prime of his career, and the team has a history of rewarding their top players with extensions each offseason.
How much will an extension for the 28-year-old cost Minnesota? That is something that remains to be seen, but one should imagine that he would like to be paid similarly to his buddy Stefon Diggs in 2019.