'They forget we're playing football': Adam Thielen sounds off on controversial penalty

Based on Thielen's explanation, he might've known the blindside block rule better than the officials.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen. | Image courtesy of the Minnesota Viking

One of the most controversial plays in Minnesota's 27-19 loss to Baltimore in Week 10 was a 15-yard illegal blindside block penalty called on wide receiver Adam Thielen late in the third quarter.

The Vikings trailed 19-10 and were facing 4th-and-2 at the Baltimore 46-yard line. The result of the play was an incomplete pass and a turnover on downs, but the questionable call on Thielen gave the Ravens the ball at the Vikings' 38-yard line instead of taking over at their own 46.

Baltimore wound up missing a field goal and taking only 49 seconds off the clock, so it wasn't a huge deal in the end, but Thielen's fiery reaction to being called for a 15-yard penalty has led to questions about whether the officials got it right.

"I think the reason probably why I was so fired up is because we talked about that exact play all week. We actually practiced that exact look in practice, like, this is probably what we'll get and this is what we want you to do. So, you know, had a pretty good idea of what the rule was, that if you're on the line of scrimmage or within a yard of the line of scrimmage, that you can actually hit him, you can block him, and it's not pass interference. If it's past one yard from the line of scrimmage, then it's pass interference if you touch him," Thielen explained Friday on KFAN's Power Trip Morning Show.

"I don't think they really understood the rule."

Vikings WR Adam Thielen shares his side of the story from his visible frustrations stemming from a controversial penalty call last Sunday.@iHeartRadio pic.twitter.com/vw7i6XgvdH

— KFAN1003 (@KFAN1003) November 14, 2025

On the replay below, you can clearly see that Thielen is within a yard of the line of scrimmage when he made contact with the Baltimore defender.

Adam Thielen gets ABSOLUTELY PISSED after blindside block.

I have no idea why he thought they wouldn’t call this 😂 pic.twitter.com/6oh5HpSCQD

— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) November 9, 2025

According to the NFL rulebook, a blindside block is defined as:

"It is a foul if a player initiates a block when his path is toward or parallel to his own end line and makes forcible contact to his opponent with his helmet, forearm, or shoulder, unless the contact occurs in close-line play prior to the ball leaving that area. The ball is not considered to have left that area if the player who takes the snap, either from shotgun position or from under center, retreats in the pocket immediately or with slight delay, and hands the ball to another player, or runs with the ball himself during a designed play. Any forcible contact in close-line play is still subject to the restrictions for crackback and peel back blocks."

Based on the language in the rulebook and the all-22 replay, it's clear that Thielen was near the line of scrimmage and McCarthy still had the ball in his hands when the block was made. Based on that, it would appear that Thielen is correct.

4th and 2 at the Baltimore 46

This is the Adam Thielen blindside block. J.J. McCarthy has Aaron Jones on the wheel route, but he wants Jordan Addison on the opposite side. Don't love the play call, but if he takes the wheel, it's there pic.twitter.com/fFV7MPT2Jz

— Tyler Forness (@TheRealForno) November 12, 2025

"So I'm like, 'alright, cool.' So, go down the line of scrimmage, I actually waited for him to come to me because I knew that if I full-throttle went at him and crushed him, obvious penalty. Waited for him to come to me and at the very end I naturally protected myself because he's running full speed at me. I think the shock of him not seeing me actually made it look worse than it really was, because I didn't really hit him that hard," Thielen said.

"I think the frustration of these refs, they kind of like sometimes forget that we're playing football and that yes, there's rules, but I think that sometimes they forget the feel of the game. Like, was that really malicious in intent? Did I hit him in the head? No."

Thielen wonders now if the refs actually knew the rule when they called the penalty.

"I think sometimes they just forget. Yes, there is a rulebook. You can't crackback. You can't do these things. But what does it look like in football, and how does that apply to a real, full-speed rep?" Thielen said.

"I think that's why I was most frustrated. And I think a little bit of what they were saying back to me made me a little bit more frustrated. I don't think they really understood the rule. Interesting play. Obviously, I can't do that. I apologized to the ref after the game, and he said that he needed to get more clarification on the rule, so all good."

In the end, Thielen blocked to free Aaron Jones on a wheel route, but McCarthy targeted Addison over the middle anyway. The penalty might've benefitted the Vikings because had Baltimore gone three-and-out from their own 46, they could've pinned Minnesota deep with a punt. Instead, they missed a field goal, and the Vikings started their next drive near midfield.