Adam Thielen Says Vikings Had 'Different Vision' of His Role Than He Did
Former Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen, who signed with the Panthers after being released this offseason, said he and Minnesota had different visions of his role in Kevin O'Connell's offense last year.
Speaking to Michael Rand on The Star Tribune's Daily Delivery podcast recently, Thielen said he wanted to end his career with the Vikings but things didn't work out that way.
"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."
Thielen made it clear that he has no issues with the Vikings, praising O'Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah for how they handled things this offseason. Still, despite having 107 targets and 70 catches in 2022, Thielen obviously wasn't thrilled with the way he was used.
Now, Thielen — who turns 33 in August — will look to prove that he still has plenty of productive football left in the tank in his first year wearing a different NFL jersey. He'll be catching passes from No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young as one of the top players in a Carolina receiver room that also includes D.J. Chark, Terrace Marshall Jr., and rookie Jonathan Mingo.
Another notable thing Thielen said this week in podcast interviews with both Rand and Purple Insider's Matthew Coller: He believes K.J. Osborn is going to have a huge 2023 season. The Vikings used their first-round pick on USC WR Jordan Addison, ostensibly to replace Thielen as their No. 2 receiver, but Thielen is a big believer in Osborn's potential as he heads into a contract year.
"I think everyone's been a little bit wrong about K.J.," Thielen told Coller. "I just think that he is a wide receiver 1 in this league and I think he has so much talent — I think his attitude, his effort, the way he approaches every single day, his mindset is one of the best I've ever been around. Great teammate, locker room guy, hardest worker every single today. I just think that he gets disrespected sometimes and I don't think it's deservingly so, and I can't wait for him to have a big year."
Osborn has averaged 55 catches, 653 yards and six touchdowns over the past two seasons as the Vikings' No. 3 receiver. If Addison is going to be the Vikings' WR2 this year, he's going to have to beat out Osborn for that role.
Thielen may not be with the Vikings anymore, but the Minnesota native has already cemented his future spot in the franchise's Ring of Honor. One of the great local underdog stories of all time, Thielen had a fantastic ten-year run with the Vikings. Now he's onto his next chapter. And he won't have to wait too long to see his old teammates again, as the Vikings and Panthers will square off in Charlotte this season.
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