MN Vikings Heart Trade Has Been a Flop

When the Minnesota Vikings started to look at Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season they saw a clear hole at the wide receiver position. Jordan Addison was suspended for the first three weeks of the season and Jalen Nailor was dealing with an injury.

After the idea of an Adam Thielen reunion was kicked around for weeks, it finally came to fruition. The Vikings were bringing home their native son that had worked his way to prominence after being an undrafted afterthought from a Division II program.

Unfortunately, and there’s no kind way to put this, a trade that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made with his heart has been nothing short of a flop.

Adam Thielen a bust for Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings brought Adam Thielen back in a trade with the Carolina Panthers. Carolina didn’t need to move the veteran, and it took a fourth round pick going to Carolina. Thielen restructured his deal after returning home, but that doesn’t soften the blow that his production, or lack thereof, has represented.

Vikings fans were excited about their reunion with Thielen before the season, but the 35-year-old wideout has been a nonfactor. Expected to make an impact while Jordan Addison was suspended, Thielen had two donuts across the first three games of the season, and he has just 47 receiving yards through six games, an underwhelming return for a player who cost the team a future fourth-round pick as part of a late-August trade.

Bill Barnwell – ESPN

It’s hard to poke holes in the reality that Bill Barnwell is seeing. Despite playing in all six games for the Vikings this season, Thielen has made just three starts. He has 10 targets and five receptions for 47 yards. To say his presence has been negligible would be putting it lightly.

Despite an injury that cost him seven games with the Panthers last season, Thielen posted 48 receptions and 615 yards with the Panthers. He scored five touchdowns and was still an integral part of an offense that helped to revive Bryce Young’s career.

It’s not a reach to suggest that the Vikings offense is substantially better than that of the Panthers. That also makes it more difficult for Thielen to contribute. However, the reality is that he looks like a cooked version of his former self, and the 35-year-old may need to hang them up after the season.

There’s no reason for the Vikings to offer the Detroit Lakes native another contract. He can retire and waltz in the Ring of Honor. That would be a great full-circle moment, but will require Thielen to accept that reality. It’s possible he sees the writing on the wall, but no matter what happens the rest of the way, this is where things stand.