Minnesota Vikings fans, this is not a drill -- Adam Thielen is back in purple for the 2025 season! The Vikings sent a sixth-round pick in next year's draft and a fourth-rounder in 2027 to the Panthers in order to bring Thielen back to his home state of Minnesota. In return, they received Thielen, a seventh-round pick for next year, and a fifth-rounder for 2027.
The writing was on the wall as far as bringing Thielen back where he belongs, but it was kicked up a couple of notches when Jordan Addison's suspension was revealed. The Vikings needed wide receiver help, and now they have a guy they know they can count on because he's done it for them before.
Thielen's reaction to coming back to Minnesota was an emotional one, and you might want to grab some tissues before watching the video. Thielen's wife recorded her husband and daughter celebrating together and chanting "We're going home!". The caption was about how psyched their son was going to be, noting, "Asher might cry when I pick him up from school."
Adam Thielen’s heartfelt return to Minnesota Vikings has fans emotional
This was a move to bolster the wide receiver position for J.J. McCarthy in his first true year on the job, but fans would like to think it was made with them in mind as well. Thielen is beloved by the Vikings fan base, and watching him leave for the Panthers two years ago was devastating.
Even though Thielen has spent two years away from Minneapolis, he's still caught passes from McCarthy, as the two have participated in throwing sessions together over the past two summers, so there's some familiarity there. That chemistry will be important as McCarthy gets accustomed to starting games in the NFL.
The former Minnesota State product has proven that even in his mid-30s (he just turned 35 earlier this week), he can still produce at a high level. Two years ago (or his first year in Carolina), Thielen finished with over 1,000 yards receiving and scored four touchdowns while having a rookie quarterback and Andy Dalton throwing to him.
The hope is that Thielen can immediately step in and pick up where he left off from his first stint with the Vikings. His reaction to the return suggests that he's going to do everything he can to return to form and help his hometown team win games.
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