Can Adam Thielen cope with extra responsibility for the Vikings in 2020?
By Dean Jones
With Stefon Diggs no longer with the franchise, the Minnesota Vikings will need more from wide receiver Adam Thielen in 2020.
Star wide receiver Adam Thielen has been a revelation for the Minnesota Vikings during his time with the organization. However, there is a huge responsibility on his shoulders heading into a pivotal 2020 campaign.
The home state hero has worked his way up from an undrafted prospect into a two-time Pro Bowler. But it will be interesting to see how he fares next season without Stefon Diggs on the opposite side of the field.
Diggs finally got his wish last month after he was traded to the Buffalo Bills for a wealth of draft picks that included the 22nd overall selection this year. The player and Thielen were arguably the best receiving tandem in the NFL and complimented each other very well.
It remains to be seen whether the Vikings are going to strengthen this area of the field in the draft. They recently signed Tajae Sharpe to a one-year deal worth $825,000 million in base salary but Diggs has left big shoes to fill.
That means Thielen’s production is going to be essential to Minnesota’s hopes of making a second consecutive playoff appearance. He is going to get more attention from opposing defenses and how he copes with this is going to go a long way to determining the franchise’s fortunes going forward.
There is nothing to suggest Thielen is not capable of picking up more of the load. But he suffered injury problems last year and the same again would be nothing short of a disaster for the Vikings.