Adam Thielen : Released | Landing spots | Net worth

The Minnesota Vikings released 2-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Adam Thielen on Friday, the team announced. Check out his landing spots here.

Adam Thielen : Released | Landing spots | Net worth

Born in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, to Pete and Jayne Thielen, Adam Thielen grew up rooting for the Vikings and idolized Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss, and would wear their Vikings jerseys while practicing in his back yard as a child.

He attended Detroit Lakes High School, where he participated in four sports (football, basketball, baseball and golf).

Also in football, he helped lead the Lakers to a 9-1 season and was an All-conference and All-state selection in his senior season.

That same year, he also was a member of a Detroit Lakes golf team that won the 2008 2A state championship.

Adam Thielen Released 

The Minnesota Vikings have decided to part ways with veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen.

Thielen, a Detroit Lakes native, spent nine seasons with the Vikings after arriving as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State-Mankato.

Thielen goes down in Vikings history as one of the franchise’s most decorated receivers. His 55 touchdowns are the third-most in team history, trailing only Cris Carter’s 110 and Randy Moss’ 92, and his 534 receptions places him third behind Carter and Moss, respectively.

His best season came in 2018 when he posted 113 catches for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns on his way to an appearance in the Pro Bowl.

Last season Thielen turned 70 catches into 716 yards and six touchdowns. He was also named the Vikings’ Community Man of the Year in 2022.

Also the decision to release Thielen is rooted in the Vikings’ salary cap woes heading into the 2023 season.

Adam Thielen Landing spots 

We’re breaking down five possible landing spots for Thielen and his contract value as he enters the next phase of his career.

Let’s dive into his best fits as he enters his 11th season in the NFL.

• New YorkJets

The Jets are in pursuit of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers as they look to improve their team.

But if they do land yet another post-prime former Packers quarterback, they’ll need to load up on their depth where they can.

Also if Thielen wants to win, the Jets will have a decision to make at receiver.

• Cleveland Browns

The Browns aren’t the cleanest fit because most agree they need speed on offense to maximize quarterback Deshaun Watson.

However, with the best receivers on the market being slower, more route-focused players like Thielen, DeAndre Hopkins, and Thomas, there’s a decent shot the Browns just look to add talent in free agency and then speed in the draft.

• Dallas Cowboys

Dallas enters this offseason in an interesting position. They could use a true No. 1 receiver like Hopkins and can justify trading assets and committing money to him, but it’s not ideal.

With a lot of money tied up between Michael Gallup, Tony Pollard, and Ezekiel Elliott, and having to deal with Dalton Schultz hitting free agency, this team could also look to spread the money it would take to get Hopkins.

• Kansas City Chiefs

Receivers continue to be linked to the Chiefs as the Super Bowl champs are set to lose JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson, and Mecole Hardman.

Also We’ve seen Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes continue to plug in a variety of playmakers and find success.

Thielen is a better version of Smith-Schuster and Watson, even if he’s not explosive.

• New York Giants

The Giants just committed about $30 million in cap space to quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley, but more work needs to be done for this offense to improve.

Isaiah Hodgins and Wan’Dale Robinson can be the start of a good receiving unit, but it’d be good to see the team bring back Darius Slayton and add two more quality options in case injuries hit again. It’s hard to get more reliable than Thielen.

Net worth 

Adam Thielen has made quite a fortune playing in the National Football League, increasing his salary with every new contract he signed. Also his first contract saw him earn $1,485,000 in three years.

• Net worth  :  $22 million.

This contract was a rookie scale deal, and Thielen was signed. However, the speedy wideout did enough in his first three years as a Viking to merit an extension.

He signed a new contract in 2016 worth a modest $600,000 for the season. This contract was a prove-it deal to be sure that Thielen was ready to be the No. 1 wide receiver on an NFL franchise.

Of course, he eventually had to compete against Stefon Diggs. Adam Thielen was decent in that 2016 season, and the Minnesota Vikings front office finally gave him the stellar contract Thielen had been waiting for.

He signed a four year, $19,246,000 contract in 2017. And his contract included a signing bonus of $4,000,000 and $9,646,000 in total guarantees. Finally, the once undrafted free agent got paid.

He was re-upped on a four-year deal worth $64,200,000 and  his new contract included a $9,000,000 signing bonus, earning $16,050,000 per season and a total guarantee of $33,000,000. Now that’s something.