Adam Thielen’s wife, ex-teammate suggest this could be his final NFL season

"I understand that he knew this was going to be his last year," Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette said about Adam Thielen.

Adam Thielen during the 2022 season with the the Minnesota Vikings. | Image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

At 35 years old, is Adam Thielen's 12 season in the NFL going to be his last?

According to his now-former Panthers teammate, wide receiver Xavier Legette, there's a real chance that Thielen returned home to Minnesota to play his final season with the Vikings.

"I was shocked," Legette said when asked if he was surprised when he heard Thielen wanted to be traded back to Minnesota. "But for real, I understand that he knew this was going to be his last year. Him playing where he started at, having that chance to go back and do that, I mean, it's good for him."

Xavier Legette on Adam Thielen trade: He knew this was going to be his last year. pic.twitter.com/hR9iGqJu4Y

— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 3, 2025

This will be Thielen's 10th season with the Vikings after he spent the last two in Carolina. Across his career, the former Minnesota State star and Detroit Lakes native has caught 685 passes for 8,311 yards and 64 touchdowns. He's third in Vikings history in receptions and receiving touchdowns, and fifth in receiving yards.

Thielen said in May that this season could be his last, though nothing is certain. However, his wife, Caitlin Thielen, said Wednesday on social media that Thielen plans to finish his career in purple and gold.

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“Literally two days before [the trade] happened, we were like, 'It's not going to happen. No one's going to budge, the deal's not going to get done. Like, it's just not going to happen,'" Caitlin said in an Instagram story. "Adam loves his team, he loved his receiver group, everything. But there’s something special obviously that he wanted to finish here and be here for if it was an opportunity. So yes, he did push to come back because he really was excited about the opportunity and he knows the system pretty well."

Amid the chaos of being traded just weeks before the start of the regular season and moving their family from Charlotte back to their home in Minnesota, Thielen has been studying the playbook "a lot the last few days" to get ready for the season opener Monday night against the Bears in Chicago. It's part of the process that Caitlin says Adam will savor, knowing very well that this could be his last ride.

"How special. Adam grew up the biggest Vikings fan. For him to come back and end his career with the team that gave him a chance and he started with, no matter what happens this year, set aside, it's just so special for him and he's really at peace with it and being home," she said.