One word can’t possibly describe his significance in Vikings history. Two might be sufficient, though.
Folk hero Adam Thielen announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday after 13 seasons of writing a story that is one of the best ever — in Minnesota, of course, but also in the sport as a whole.
“What a ride it has been!” he captioned in a story on his Instagram account.
From Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and a product of Minnesota State, Mankato, the homegrown dynamo finished his 12-season career (plus one year on the practice squad) with 704 catches, 8,497 receiving yards and 64 touchdown receptions. Thielen also rushed 22 times for 178 yards and a score — and his first dash to pay dirt happened when he blocked a punt against the Panthers and returned it 30 yards.
That initial touchdown was a franchise record for approximately 15 minutes — and then teammate Everson Griffen returned another blocked punt for a touchdown that was housed from 43 yards out.
Thielen’s modest beginnings are well known. The league watched him, an unwanted prospect, evolve into a Pro Bowl wide receiver and Second-Team All-Pro (2017) — and he produced plenty of other milestones. Originally a tryout player and havoc-creator on special teams, Thielen baby-stepped into the Vikings offensive lineup in 2014-2015 and rocketed to the top of the club’s receiving charts in 2016, posting 967 yards, including 202 at Green Bay, and five TDs. The two seasons after that were defining.
In 2017, Thielen set then-personal bests in catches (91) and yards (1,276). In 2018, he outdid himself. Beginning in Week 1, Thielen delivered eight consecutive 100-yard games, the most such performances by a player at the beginning of a season in NFL history. The feat broke a 57-year-old record set by Charlie Hennigan in 1961 (7). For context, Vikings Legend Randy Moss ranks tied for fourth on that list, with four games in a row over the 100-yard threshold to start his iconic 2007 season on the New England Patriots.
Thielen spent four more seasons in Minnesota (2019-22) and was invaluable to a smooth transition from Stefon Diggs as the playmaker in the receiver’s room to a young phenom in Justin Jefferson. Even in a No. 2 role, Thielen was a star, expanding his niche as a red-zone threat, with 14 and 10 TDs in 2020 and 2021.
In 2023 free agency, the undrafted veteran was rewarded with a lucrative deal from the Panthers, who valued his mentorship as they prepared to enter a new era with No. 1 overall pick QB Bryce Young. It was strange to witness Thielen in different threads, but his production was nostalgic. At 33, he paced Carolina in receiving with his third campaign over 1,000 yards. His average yardage was even better across limited action in 2024. And then, well, not too long ago, Thielen returned to his roots and No. 19 purple jersey.