Vikings Waive Receiver Adam Thielen

EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings on Monday waived veteran receiver Adam Thielen and issued the following statement from General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah:

“Last week, Adam’s representation approached the team and asked if we would be willing to release Adam, expressing his desire to play a bigger role in the remaining weeks of what he has indicated will be his final NFL season. Following discussions through the weekend and out of respect for Adam, we have agreed to give him the opportunity to pursue more playing time elsewhere. Adam is one of the all-time great Vikings, and we wish him and his family continued success.”

Thielen posted the following comments on social media:

This is tremendously difficult for me to write and certainly not how any of us imagined this to go.

As a Minnesota native, putting on this uniform over the years and representing this community both on and off the field has always meant that much more to me. This team is in my bones, it’s in my heart and it’s part of my DNA. I will ALWAYS be a Minnesota Viking.

Since this past Spring, I knew this was going to be my last season playing in the National Football League. Given that, the Vikings allowed me the opportunity to go compete elsewhere for the last few weeks of my career.

Minnesota will always be our home, and we are incredibly grateful to the Wilf family, Kwesi, K.O. and everyone in the Vikings organization for bringing us back in August. This organization means the world to us from the top down and this locker room is filled with true professionals.

With gratitude and love and I’ll be back to retire!

Because the move is after the trade deadline, Thielen will go through the waiver process through which another team can claim him. If he goes unclaimed, he will be cleared to sign with any team.

Entering the 2025 season with lofty goals (and knowing Jordan Addison would miss the first three games of the season), Minnesota brought Thielen back home before the season in a trade with Carolina.

The Vikings received a conditional 2026 seventh-round selection and a 2027 fifth-round selection in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round selection.

Thielen started four of 11 games in his second Vikings stint. He caught eight passes for 69 yards on 18 targets with a long of 19. Six of the eight catches resulted in first downs, and he also caught a 2-point conversion pass in Minnesota’s Week 1 comeback win at Chicago. The Vikings, however, were unable to build off that early momentum.

Thielen, who is seven catches shy of 700 in his career, was inactive on Sunday when Minnesota visited Seattle and fell to 4-8 on the season.