When rumors first began to pop up last week about the Minnesota Vikings wanting to acquire Adam Thielen in a trade with the Carolina Panthers, most assumed it was only a matter of time until a deal was completed.
But then that optimism quickly turned into doubt for Vikings fans after finding out that Thielen practiced with the Panthers on Tuesday following the NFL's 53-man roster deadline. Some wondered why the possibility of Minnesota trading for the veteran receiver suddenly seemed unlikely.
Well, thanks to a report shared by The Athletic's Joseph Person on Thursday, we now know that the Vikings initially offered just a sixth-round draft pick in exchange for Thielen and a seventh-round draft selection. For a team in Carolina that really had no intention of trading the veteran receiver, according to Person's report, that offer wasn't going to be one that completed any sort of deal.
Low offer to Carolina Panthers almost cost the Minnesota Vikings a trade for Adam Thielen
In response to Minnesota's first offer, Person revealed that the Panthers reportedly came back with an offer of Thielen and a fifth-round draft pick in exchange for a third-round draft selection.
A third-round pick was obviously too steep a price for the Vikings, but they eventually found a way to meet in the middle and work out a deal with Carolina to acquire Thielen. In the end, Minnesota got its guy and a conditional 2026 seventh-round selection after sending the Panthers a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round selection.
The Vikings' commitment to getting a deal done for Thielen really says a lot about how serious they are about making sure quarterback J.J. McCarthy is able to reach his full potential in 2025.
This offseason, Minnesota significantly improved its offensive line, added more talent to its backfield, and now improved the depth of its wide receiver group, which should now be able to hold up well if someone has to miss any time due to injury in the upcoming season.
McCarthy is who the Vikings want to lead their franchise to success during the next decade, and they're clearly doing everything they can to make sure that has the best chance of actually happening.