Adam Thielen Waived by Vikings: Veteran WR Ends Second Minnesota Stint, Eyes Final NFL Run Before 2025 Retirement

The Minnesota Vikings and veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen parted ways again today, as the team officially announced it has waived the 35-year-old at his request. The move ends Thielen’s brief second stint in Minnesota and sets up what he has indicated will be the final chapter of his NFL career with a different franchise before retirement after the 2025 season.

According to multiple reports, Thielen’s camp approached the Vikings about a release so he could explore one last opportunity with a team that might offer a larger role down the stretch. Minnesota honored that request, processing the transaction today and confirming the roster move publicly. Team officials framed the decision as a mutual parting rooted in respect for a long-time locker room leader who has been a face of the franchise for much of the past decade.

Thielen’s second run with the Vikings never reached the storybook heights fans imagined when he was traded back from the Carolina Panthers in August 2025. After returning to his home-state team with considerable fanfare, he slid into a complementary role behind stars like Justin Jefferson, and his offensive snaps and targets dwindled as the season progressed. He finished his 11-game 2025 stretch in purple with only eight catches for 69 yards, far from the Pro Bowl production that once made him one of the NFL’s most reliable possession receivers.

Signs of a possible break surfaced over the weekend, when Thielen was a surprise inactive for Minnesota’s 26–0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the first time this season he did not dress for a game. Head coach Kevin O’Connell later explained that the team’s younger receivers and special teams needs drove the decision, a clear indication that Thielen’s role had shrunk to the margins of the game-day plan. Today’s waiver move made that shifting reality official.

For Vikings fans, the news is bittersweet. Thielen’s underdog rise from undrafted tryout to All-Pro and local hero remains one of the great feel-good stories in recent franchise history, and his return was framed as a homecoming. Now, as he heads back to the open market, Thielen is expected to sign with a contender where his route-running savvy, red-zone experience, and leadership could boost a playoff push before he hangs up his cleats for good.