Adam Thielen on Adjusting to Vikings Offense Again, Playing with Justin Jefferson and J.J. McCarthy

Adam Thielen on Adjusting to Vikings Offense Again, Playing with Justin Jefferson and J.J. McCarthy

Here we go. Wes was talking about your recall of the offense and then how sometimes you’re even correcting guys who have been here like on some of the little details. I know TJ was just saying, “Yeah, offenses are offenses, but the language, how is your brain kind of swapping back so fast?” Yeah. I mean, I think anybody that knows me knows that I’m not the smartest guy in the world, so it’s still a little bit tough. Uh but I I uh you know have great coaches around. Um obviously great players that have really helped me um this last week. Having obviously extra days too uh going into this week um really helped. Um and then obviously being in the offense before helps to be able to kind of come back. Okay, I remember some of this stuff. Um but yeah, it’s it’s it’s definitely a different offense. And I I told my wife the other day, I’m like it’s like it’s like you know English really well, right? and uh Chinese you don’t know but they’re the same you’re they’re saying the same thing. So you know you know the concept you know how it’s supposed to be run but when you’re in the huddle and you’re hearing Chinese it’s like what the heck just happened. I don’t know where I’m supposed to line up. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. But yeah, just uh trying to get those reps, you know, in the huddle is huge. You can look at a piece of paper and you can say, “Oh yeah, I know what I’m doing.” You got time to process. When you’re in the huddle, like you don’t got a whole lot of time to process. So, so just trying to get those reps in the huddle, whether that be a walkth through or or practice reps is huge. Uh, just to get used to hearing the play call, getting lined up, and then boom, ball is snapped. Um, and being able to process quickly. This last two weeks been a little overwhelming for you with learning the offense again, getting the family back here. Uh, never never overwhelming. Uh, but um, but it’s a lot for sure. Uh but uh thankful to have a great support system uh with the people here uh with my family. My wife, my wife’s a rock star. She’s been crushing it. Uh getting everybody sorted at home, kids school and sports and cancelling stuff and signing them up for stuff and uh it’s it’s wild handling the movers and everything. So um she’s she’s a rock star. But but yeah, not overwhelmed, just uh just taking it one day at a time. Does it feel normal? Like weird being back or has it just kind of settled in? Yeah, just just it kind of feels like uh I never really left to be honest. Uh it’s just you kind of get back in and a lot of the same people around the building. Obviously different players, but you start to learn the players and I’ve always enjoyed that part. You know, where guys are from, how they got there, what schools they went to, how many years they’ve been in the league. You kind of start to build these relationships and you start to try to get to know guys. And um I really enjoy that. So it’s been good. Was saying he’s missed your your vibe in the huddle and he said it was one of those things that you forget about you’re in the midst of football and then when you he goes just his personal your personality for him. He goes I’ve missed you. Like the fact that you affected guys like that and they remember it. That’s got to feel pretty good. Yeah. I mean that I’m I’m like a kid, you know, like in a candy shop. Like this is what I love to do. Obviously this place means so much to me. Um, so I’m just I’m just happy to be here. Um, I’m happy to be in that huddle uh with a great group of guys and great coaches and just the people around this building. So again, just uh that’s kind of always been my personality to just take advantage of the moment and and enjoy the moment and that’s kind of who I’m going to be. We saw Justin and his excitement having you back. What’s it been like being back with him? Yeah, just like just like we never left. Uh it’s it’s been awesome. Uh it’s been cool to see his maturity. Um you know, I was with him as a young a young player and he was he was a very mature guy at that point in his career. Uh but just to see him helping out other guys and and caring about them in the individual drills. Hey, you can do this a little better, do that. Um it’s really cool to see. And in fact, uh, we kind of laughed about it, but he’s been helping me out with the plays, which is which is just funny, uh, because it was obviously opposite, uh, early in his career. But, uh, but yeah, that was really cool, uh, for him to kind of be teaching me this offense. Adam, I don’t know how much time you’ve even really had to think about playing Chicago yet, but with playing them week one, is that a benefit maybe just for how much newness they have going on over there? Could you guys be catching them at a good time, maybe? Uh, no, not necessarily. I think it helps just having an extra day um to just be able to continue to prepare, get on the same page. Um, obviously a young quarterback, it doesn’t hurt to have just some more time to get, you know, acclimated with what a a week looks like. Um, so yeah, no, I think uh at the end of the day, they’re going to be fired up to play. They got a new culture, they got a new staff, and and they got great players, and so they’re going to be fired up to play. And and I think someone said the other day, um, we got a target on our back. You know, when you win 14 games, uh, teams are coming for you and you’re going to get the best of every team this year that we play. So, um, we got to know that going into each week. Who’s been the biggest coffee customer this this time around? Yeah, I’m trying to figure out who my coffee guys are. Uh, but I’m sure we’ll have a nice uh a nice coffee get together here in the next couple days. Usually, we do that, you know, closer to the game. Uh, and then game days, usually I try to find out who my coffee guys are, and if they’re not, I still force them to take a shot of of cold brew before the game. So, excited to get Justin back on that because when I was here, I always made sure he had a shot of cold brew before the game to get them fired up. They had to dust off the machine. Yeah, there’s there’s a couple machines here that I don’t trust uh because I don’t think they’ve been cleaned and since I left. Uh, so I kind of tend to go for the new machines now. I know you caught some balls from JJ obviously in the summer, but just being here in practices for about a weekish. What What has that done for your kind of connection with him? Yeah, I knew I knew I had to get as much many reps as possible because it’s just every quarterback’s different. Um and then yeah, throwing in shorts and a t-shirt against no defense is a lot different than, you know, against the defense and real football, right? So yeah, just trying to take advantage of those reps. Um, obviously like I said this summer, he’s got all the tools to be a great quarterback and very excited to work with him. Uh, he’s another guy that is just fun to be around. His energy, his passion, uh, his work ethic. Uh, so it’s just been good to see, you know, his his kind of uh, personality show up uh, throughout the week of practice. Adam, how did Matt Daniels approach you about being the backup punt returner? Oh, well, I found out uh through the uh social media. So, no, I’m just kidding. I’m just kidding. Uh he he he just said that, you know, be ready um if anything happens. And uh it’s funny enough, I feel like literally what was it a week ago when I was on the Panthers, they said the same thing to me. So, uh so I don’t know what it is. I guess I’m a good punt returner. Tips for Miles is he’s a rookie shifting into that role and undrafted guy, too. Yeah, I think for him um it’s like take advantage of that. I mean, I remember when I was a young player and I got that opportunity to go back there and it was like I I I didn’t get the opportunity to get the ball in my hands and that was my chance. So, it’s like go take advantage of it like go have fun once you get that ball in your hands, go be special. Um so, yeah, I mean excited for him obviously haven’t been around him very long. Uh but just heard uh how great of a camp he had and then coach showed a clip from preseason game. I think he had a nice return. Uh so just seeing that uh was cool and excited for him to make big plays this year.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen addressed the media from TCO Performance Center on September 4 ahead of the Week 1 matchup against the Chicago Bears.

#MinnesotaVikings #Vikings #NFL #MN #Football #Skol

Subscribe to the Minnesota Vikings YT Channel: https://goo.gl/VTGqAS
For more Vikings videos: https://goo.gl/f9Ppj3

For more Vikings action: http://www.vikings.com/
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/minnesotavikings
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vikings
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vikings/
Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vikings
Get the App: https://apple.co/2uPFQkP
Subscribe to our podcasts: https://apple.co/36BX1on