Former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen isn’t going anywhere just yet.
Like many relevant NFL players did over the course of the past week, Thielen appeared on radio row at Super Bowl 2025 in New Orleans where he spoke about his plans for the future. Now a member of the Carolina Panthers, Thielen said following the end of the regular season that he would take some time to his weigh options on a decision to either return to that team in 2025 or to retire from the league.
“I feel good. I took two weeks off and got my energy back,” Thielen said on Friday, February 7, per The 33rd Team. “Started training already, spent a ton of time with my family and just kinda thought about how the end of the season went — the progression, the things [and] the moves that the leadership and this organization are doing. Really excited about [quarterback] Bryce [Young] and what he was able to do once he got back in the [starting lineup]. So, excited for what the future hold for this organization and wanna be a part of it.”
Adam Thielen Has Contemplated Retirement Every Year Since Leaving Vikings, Joining Panthers
Thielen went through the same routine in January 2025 that he has practiced in each of the past three offseasons when deciding whether or not to continue his professional pursuits on a football field.
“Every year I consider it. It’s no different than the last three years,” Thielen told media members January 6. “Nothing has changed in the last three years as far as the process of the next two weeks. I’m gonna take two weeks to be around my family, get my mind away from football, see how my body feels and then be very clear of my intentions.”
The same process ended in the same result for the fourth consecutive offseason, as Thielen will pursue his 12th year in the league in 2025.
Adam Thielen Has Been High-Achieving Wide Receiver in NFL for Much of His Career, Remains Such in Mid-30s
Thielen played in Minnesota for nine seasons, earning Pro Bowl honors twice and Second-Team All Pro honors once. He tallied 534 receptions for 6,682 receiving yards and 55 TD catches during his time with the Vikings.
However, Thielen’s most lasting accomplishment with his hometown team is arguably the impact he had as a mentor to a young Justin Jefferson, who is a four-time Pro Bowler just five years into his career and is also the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history.
Thielen has now played two seasons with the Panthers, tallying 151 catches for 1,629 receiving yards and 9 scores. He has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards three times over the course of his 11-year career (twice with Minnesota and once in Carolina) and put up double-digit TDs twice (both times with Vikings) while also scoring nine times in 2018.
