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The Minnesota Vikings waived wide receiver Adam Thielen on Monday (December 1) after he requested more playing time during what is expected to be his last NFL season, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah confirmed in a statement shared on the team's social media accounts.
“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,” Adofo-Mensah said. “Following discuss 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, 35, a Minnesota native, spent his first 10 seasons with the franchise before being released during the 2023 offseason and signing with the Carolina Panthers. The Vikings re-acquired the veteran wide receiver this past offseason in a trade with the Panthers, but he's been limited to just eight receptions for 69 yards and four starts in 11 appearances.
“Vikings family — Thank you,” Thielen wrote in a post shared on his X account. “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.”
Thielen ranks fourth in Vikings franchise history for career receptions (542), fifth in yards (6,751) and third in touchdowns (55).