Vikings waive Adam Thielen, who requested to finish NFL career elsewhere before retiring Chris Cwik December 2, 2025 at 2:41 AM 1 The Minnesota Vikings are parting ways with a franchise icon for a second time. The team released veteran wideout Adam Thielen on Monday at his request, allowing the 35yearold to finish his career with another franchise. Thielen and the Vikings confirmed the news with posts on social media Monday. The team said Thielen approached it about finishing out his NFL career in a competitive situation. The Vikings decided to grant that wish.
- - Vikings waive Adam Thielen, who requested to finish NFL career elsewhere before retiring
Chris Cwik December 2, 2025 at 2:41 AM
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The Minnesota Vikings are parting ways with a franchise icon for a second time. The team released veteran wideout Adam Thielen on Monday at his request, allowing the 35-year-old to finish his career with another franchise.
Thielen and the Vikings confirmed the news with posts on social media Monday. The team said Thielen approached it about finishing out his NFL career in a competitive situation. The Vikings decided to grant that wish.
Thielen confirmed as much, saying this will be his final season in the NFL and he wanted to compete over the final weeks of his career.
#Skol https://t.co/PmpGmts9lr pic.twitter.com/AAZl4B0q6j
— Adam Thielen (@athielen19) December 1, 2025
While Thielen didn't explicitly say it, it's pretty clear the veteran is hoping for a Super Bowl run before he hangs up his cleats. That wasn't going to come with the Vikings. After nearly winning the NFC North last year, the Vikings find themselves at 4-8 this season thanks to poor quarterback play, among other issues. With the playoffs all but out of the question for the Vikings, Thielen will look to hook on with a team still in the hunt.
The 35-year-old hasn't been super involved in the Vikings' offense this season. Through 11 games, Thielen has just eight receptions for 69 yards. He likely wouldn't start on a more competitive team, but could provide solid depth with the playoffs quickly approaching.
Whether he can catch on with another club depends on how the rest of the NFL views Thielen at this point in his career. During his prime, he was a sure-handed, target commander with a knack for getting open in the end zone.
From 2016-2022, Thielen averaged nearly 1,000 yards and 7.7 touchdowns per season with the Vikings. He made two Pro Bowls over that period, earning a second team All-Pro nod in 2017. Though his yardage totals dropped at the back end of that stretch, Thielen made up for it with his end-zone dominance. He caught 14 touchdowns in 15 games in 2020 and 10 in 2021 despite only playing in 13 games.
Following the 2022 NFL season, Thielen joined the Carolina Panthers on a three-year deal. He gained over 1,000 receiving yards in his first season with team.
After a down year in 2024, the Panthers agreed to trade Thielen back to the Vikings in a draft-pick swap. He hasn't emerged as a big option back in Minnesota, though the team does have both Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on its depth chart, making it hard for Thielen to make a significant impact.
If contending NFL teams still believe Thielen has something left, he could still fulfill his dream of competing for a title before his career is over. If not, there's always the possibility a late injury opens the door for Thielen to get one more shot at a Super Bowl win.
Source: "AOL Sports"
Source: Sports
Published: December 01, 2025 at 11:27PM on Source: MARIO MAG
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