Adam Thielen Trade Was the Vikings’ Biggest WTF Move in a Season Full of Them

It's been a season worth forgetting for Minnesota Vikings fans. It was just in August that Minnesota traded and brought back Adam Thielen, hoping to get into the postseason, with their fan-favorite receiver joining them.

Before the year was over, the Thielen trade had already become a real misstep by the Vikings' front office — perhaps their most mind-boggling, or second only to not bringing back Sam Darnold — and it officially came crashing down Monday when the team waived Thielen.

Thielen, 35, announced Monday that this will be his final season and is leaving Minnesota in hopes of signing with a postseason contender heading into Week 14. 

In 2025, Adam Thielen isn't a coveted free-agent wideout, which makes Minnesota's move all the more confusing.

The Vikings made a deal with the Carolina Panthers, and Carolina received a 2026 5th-round pick and a 2027 4th-round pick from the Vikings, along with a conditional 2026 7th-round pick and a 2027 5th-round pick.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Thielen asked the team to be released the week prior. He was logged as a healthy scratch for Week 13's 26-0 loss at the talons of the Seahawks.

Thielen released a statement announcing his intention to retire after the season and expressing gratitude to the Vikings after spending nine straight seasons with them in his first stint, and less than a season in his second.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - NOVEMBER 16: Adam Thielen #19 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before the NFL 2025 game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)

Thielen's statement read, in part: "This team is in my bones, it's in my heart, and it's part of my DNA. I will ALWAYS be a Minnesota Viking.

"Since this past Spring, I knew this was going to be my last season playing in the National Football League. Given that, the Vikings allowed me the opportunity to go compete elsewhere for the last few weeks of my career."

At 4-8 with no viable quarterback to start, the Vikings' year appears over much earlier than fans expected, coming off a 14-3 season. And just a year ago, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was heralded for bringing Sam Darnold to Minnesota.

After the Thielen trade and the lack of a Darnold extension, Adofo-Mensah may not be the calculated genius we all expected.

Calls were made, and a deal was reached, only for Thielen to record eight catches for 69 yards in his brief stint.

Coach Kevin O'Connell addressed Thielen's departure Monday.

"What I will say is just how much I appreciate Adam," O'Connell said. "What he means to me, the organization. I think Adam Thielen's a special person and a special player. I just wish him nothing but the best over these final few weeks of the year. Sounds like that might be the final few weeks of his career, and we wanted to make sure, after some dialogue, that we accommodated that."

The Thielen saga adds one more layer to a Vikings season defined by collapse.

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