Adam Thielen, a two-time Pro Bowler, ended his ten-year tenure with the Vikings, but the wide receiver recently admitted that he was not necessarily inclined to do so; rather, a series of unfortunate events compelled him to do so.
After nine seasons, Thielen’s relationship with the Minnesota Vikings came to an end after he was released from his contract on March 10. Shortly after his release, the wide receiver found a new home with the Carolina Panthers after signing a three-year contract with the Panthers.
Adam Thielen had to leave the Vikings squad unwillingly
In a recent interview with the Daily Delivery podcast, Adam thanked the Vikings general manager and staff in jest while also revealing a shocking truth about his former team: He wasn’t on his way out. He claimed that after ten years with the Minnesota Vikings, the team forced him to leave the team, truly pitiful for the star player.
“I think there are like two sides of it. … It was a bummer. I didn’t want to leave Minnesota. I wanted to end my career there. Obviously, that would be the perfect fairy tale way to do it, right? But that’s not reality. I’m so thankful for that organization, (general manager) Kwesi (Adofo-Mensah) and (Kevin O’Connell) and the staff. The way they handled this throughout the process was first-class.”
Panthers WR Adam Thielen on Vikings exit: It was "pretty clear that they had a different vision for me"https://t.co/8lTNX8sbKs pic.twitter.com/PyUDirYgJc
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) May 8, 2023
White Claw started the season with 8 straight games of 100+ receiving yards, becoming the first player in NFL history to do so, yet the team wasn’t overly confident in his play. The WR didn’t elaborate on any specific incidents, but during his interview, he made hints that the Vikings had a different plan for him.
“You know, it’s really hard to explain the entire situation,” Thielen said. “I don’t think there was ever a point where I was unhappy with what I was doing. It was just pretty clear that they had a different vision for me than maybe I had for a way that I could help the team win games. There wasn’t a wrong thing. There wasn’t disrespect on either side. I think it was just time for both sides to move on.”
The 32-year-old had a remarkable career with the Vikings, the only team he played for throughout his NFL career, with 534 catches for 6,682 yards and 57 touchdowns. He represented Minnesota at the 2017 and 2018 Pro Bowls and has a 77-57-1 record with the Vikings in his career. The legendary athlete received 2nd-Team Associated Press All-Pro honors in 2017.
Even though AT’s output has decreased over the past couple of years, he still wanted to play for the Vikings and help them win the Super Bowl. He eventually had to part ways with his desired career with the Vikings, yet he is now content with his new squad.
