Adam Thielen - Pro Football Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/29/21

December 29th, 2021 at 5:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Designated for return: LB Tanner Vallejo, LB Ezekiel Turner
Released: P Ryan Winslow

Atlanta Falcons

Signed: QB Matt Barkley

Chicago Bears

Placed on IR: CB Xavier Crawford, S Teez Tabor

Cincinnati Bengals

Designated for return: OG Xavier Su’a-Filo

Dallas Cowboys

Designated for return: WR Noah Brown, WR T.J. Vasher, OT Josh Ball

Green Bay Packers

Promoted: OT Cole Van Lanen
Activated from IR: CB Jaire Alexander

Houston Texans

Extended: S Grayland Arnold
Placed on IR: OG Cole Turner, WR Phillip Dorsett

Kansas City Chiefs

Designated for return: RB Jerick McKinnon

Jacksonville Jaguars

Signed: LB Tyrell Adams

Las Vegas Raiders

Signed: LB Justin March -Lillard, LB Kyle Wilber
Designated for return: TE Derek Carrier

Los Angeles Chargers

Designated for return: LB Kyler Fackrell, S Mark Webb

Miami Dolphins

Designated for return: LB Brennan Scarlett

Minnesota Vikings

Signed: QB Kyle Sloter
Designated for return: TE Ben Ellefson
Placed on IR: WR Adam Thielen

New England Patriots

Designated for return: LB Harvey Langi

New York Giants

Designated for return: LB Trent Harris

New York Jets

Signed: LB Javin White

Vikings’ Adam Thielen Undergoes Surgery

December 29th, 2021 at 11:48am CST by Sam Robinson

After reinjuring his ankle during the Vikings’ Week 16 game against the Rams, Adam Thielen will be shut down. The veteran wide receiver underwent surgery, Chad Graff of The Athletic reports.

This operation will almost certainly knock Thielen out for the remainder of the season. A roughly one-month recovery timetable comes with this procedure, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Barring a lengthy playoff run, the 31-year-old wideout will resurface next season. The Vikings placed Thielen on IR, knocking him out for at least three games.

Thielen suffered a high ankle sprain earlier this month. While he attempted to return, he left Sunday’s game in considerable pain. That development resulted in a quick decision on a surgical procedure.

Despite Justin Jefferson swiftly becoming one of the NFL’s best receivers, Thielen still leads the Vikings with 10 touchdown catches. The former UDFA has 67 receptions for 726 yards. Thielen played 15 games last season but missed six in 2019 due to injury. The $16.2MM-per-year extension he signed in 2019 runs through 2024.

The Vikings’ loss to the Rams dropped them below .500, at 7-8, and Thielen’s absence will make notching a sweep against the Packers more difficult. Ahead of the Vikes’ trip to Green Bay, FiveThirtyEight.com gives them a 13% chance to make the playoffs. Minnesota will turn to second-year target K.J. Osborn (46 receptions, 584 yards, five TDs) in Thielen’s place alongside Jefferson.

Vikings Activate Adam Thielen From Reserve/COVID-19 List

December 2nd, 2020 at 5:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings will have their starting receiver duo back in action this week. They activated Adam Thielen off their reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday.

Thielen landed on the coronavirus list Nov. 23, and despite no reports indicating the veteran target contracted the virus, the Vikings were without their two-time Pro Bowl pass catcher against the Panthers. But Thielen is set to return to help the Vikes against the Jaguars.

Prior to his stay on the virus list, Thielen had done well to rebound from an injury-marred 2019. After missing the better part of seven games last season, Thielen caught 49 passes for 646 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns through 10 games. Those 11 TDs led the NFL going into Week 12; Tyreek Hill‘s surge in Tampa now has the Chiefs deep threat pacing the league with 13 touchdown grabs.

Backups Chad Beebe and Bisi Johnson filled in well against Carolina, combining for 14 receptions in the one-point win. But the Vikings have structured their passing attack around the Thielen-Justin Jefferson duo, as they did around their Thielen-Stefon Diggs tandem for years. Thielen, 30, signed a four-year, $64MM extension in 2019.

One game out of the NFC’s third wild-card spot, the 5-6 Vikings are trying to become the fourth team since the merger to start 1-5 and make the playoffs.

Adam Thielen Expected To Miss Week 12

November 27th, 2020 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Adam Thielen remains on the Vikings’ reserve/COVID-19 list, and the NFL’s touchdown reception leader is not on track to be activated ahead of Minnesota’s next game.

The Vikings are expected to be without Thielen on Sunday, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). Given the timing of Thielen landing on the Vikes’ coronavirus list (Monday), the veteran wide receiver would have been able to return Sunday — provided he continued to test negative. But this has been one of the vaguer virus situations to emerge.

No Thielen positive coronavirus test has been reported, but should he miss Sunday, he will have been delayed longer than many who have landed on the virus list. Several players have landed on the list early in the week only to be cleared for Sunday games. Thielen missing would obviously weaken the Vikings against the Panthers, though the team can rely on Justin Jefferson and All-Pro candidate Dalvin Cook.

Thielen has caught a career-high 11 touchdown passes, however, and has not missed a game this season. Prior to this COVID-19 issue, the 30-year-old wideout has used the season as a comeback effort of sorts. Thielen missed all or most of seven games last season due to a hamstring injury. The Vikings, though, were prepared to rely on their former tryout-camp find this year after trading Stefon Diggs to the Bills. As was the case last season, the team is thin at wideout beyond its starters. Sunday’s game is obviously critical for the 4-6 team’s last-ditch playoff hopes.

Vikings Place WR Adam Thielen On Reserve/COVID-19 List

November 23rd, 2020 at 7:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Following one of his best performances of the 2020 campaign, Vikings star wideout Adam Thielen has landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list (per an announcement from the organization).

The team didn’t provide any specific details on Thielen’s status, but we can assume the receiver either tested positive for COVID-19 or was within close contact of someone who did test positive.

The Vikings have recently placed six players on the COVID-19 list, but we know of only two players who definitively tested positive (linebacker Todd Davis and guard Dru Samia). ESPN’s Courtney Cronin observes that wide receivers coach Andrew Janocko wasn’t on the sideline for Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys, but there was no explanation for his absence.

The 30-year-old Thielen is having a bounce-back season, hauling in 49 catches for 646 yards and a league-leading 11 touchdowns (including two on Sunday). As Andrew Kramer of the Star Tribune writes, the “NFL requires a minimum five-day quarantine for high-risk close contacts and asymptomatic cases.” That means Thielen could be back in the lineup on Sunday against the Panthers.

Vikings Will Not Trade WR Adam Thielen

November 1st, 2020 at 10:36am CST by Rory Parks

There are a number of teams that would like to add a wide receiver in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline, and Vikings wideout Adam Thielen would probably pique the interest of all of those clubs. However, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports, Minnesota has no intention of dealing its 30-year-old receiver (Twitter link).

The Vikes are 1-5 and have already sold off one major asset by trading Yannick Ngakoue. They are also willing to deal safety Anthony Harris. However, both Ngakoue and Harris are set to hit free agency at the end of the season, while Thielen is under club control through 2024.

And while Minnesota looks dead in the water this year, there is still enough talent on the roster — including Thielen — to suggest that a rebound in 2021 could be in the cards. If the club plans to retool rather than rebuild, having Thielen in the fold would go a long way towards a return to contention next year.

Thielen and the Vikings agreed to a lucrative four-year extension in April 2019, and though injuries limited him to 10 games last season, he is on track for about 85 catches and over 1,100 receiving yards in 2020. That would be a little off the pace he set in his 2017-18 Pro Bowl campaigns, but those are still respectable numbers, and his 13.0 yards-per-reception average is right in line with his best seasons. He is also currently leading the league with seven TD catches this year.

There’s always a chance the Vikings could be blown away by an offer, especially since Thielen’s salaries throughout his contract are fairly manageable and since it would be easy enough for a team to get out of that contract at any point after the 2020 season is over. It just doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen, and WR-needy teams like the Browns, Ravens, Patriots, and Packers, among others, will need to turn their attention elsewhere (not that Minnesota would ever trade Thielen to Green Bay anyway).

Trade Rumors: Giants, Ryan, Fuller

October 25th, 2020 at 11:07am CST by Rory Parks

After dealing Markus Golden to the Cardinals, it appears the 1-6 Giants have officially declared themselves sellers at this year’s trade deadline. Though GM Dave Gettleman may be reluctant to trade away veteran talent that could theoretically help Big Blue win a few games — and perhaps save Gettleman’s job in the process — players like Evan Engram, Kevin Zeitler, and Golden Tate could be available, as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes (though Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says the club is unlikely to deal Engram).

2017 second-round DT Dalvin Tomlinson could also be on the move, per Dunleavy. Tomlinson is playing out the last year of his rookie contract, and while he has expressed interest in staying with the Giants long-term, there has been little progress in contract talks.

As we creep closer to the November 3 deadline, let’s round up a few more trade rumors from around the league:

Big names like Falcons QB Matt Ryan and WR Julio Jones are not going to be moved, as Rapoport writes in the same piece linked above. The same can be said for Jets QB Sam Darnold (though Darnold could be dealt this offseason). Gang Green may be more open to trading DT Quinnen Williams, but thus far interested teams have only offered a single second-round pick. That will not be enough to convince GM Joe Douglas to trade the talented interior defender.
The 1-5 Vikings look like sellers after they traded Yannick Ngakoue, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says Minnesota is open to dealing S Harrison Smith, TE Kyle Rudolph, and LT Riley Reiff. However, those players are not generating much interest, and the players that rival execs really want — WR Adam Thielen and TE Irv Smith Jr. — seem likely to stay put.
Another 1-5 outfit, the Texans, also anticipate making a trade or two, per La Canfora. Houston is in desperate need of draft capital, and receivers Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller are coming up in discussions. Sources expect at least one of those players to be moved, and the team is also gauging the market for edge defender Whitney Mercilus.
One team that could have an eye on the Texans’ receivers is the Patriots, who are once again looking for a pass catcher, as La Canfora writes. One year after the team’s ill-fated trade for Mohamed Sanu, New England wants to get a weapon for QB Cam Newton, and Cooks, Fuller, and Thielen could all be options.
Washington QB Dwayne Haskins might be on the trade market, but the club hasn’t received much interest. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Haskins could be had for anything more than a sixth-round pick, but Washington hasn’t even gotten an offer that good yet. Although pass rusher Ryan Kerrigan has been the most-discussed Washington trade chip outside of Haskins, Rapoport says Ryan Anderson is more likely to be traded.

Adam Thielen To Play Through Ankle Injury

January 11th, 2020 at 2:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite suffering an injury this week in practice, Adam Thielen will play against the 49ers. The Vikings have declared him active for their divisional-round game, but it sounds like the Pro Bowl wide receiver will play through some pain.

Thielen suffered a “deep laceration” near his ankle and heel area, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk reports. The Vikings plan to numb the area, tape up the injury and hope their standout wideout can play through any discomfort. The 29-year-old receiver expressed confidence earlier Saturday he will be able to play through this malady (Instagram link).

This injury occurred early this week in practice, with Smith indicating a Vikings teammate’s cleat cut through Thielen’s shoe to cause the laceration — one that required four stitches. No Achilles damage occurred. But this continues an injury-marred season for Thielen, who saw his two-year Pro Bowl run halt.

The former rookie-tryout success story missed five full games with a hamstring injury but missed most of two more because of that malady. However, he came through with one of the biggest Vikings catches this century to cap a seven-reception, 129-yard performance in an overtime win over the Saints.

Extra Points: Thielen, Panthers, Falcons, Raiders

January 9th, 2020 at 9:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Vikings WR Adam Thielen suffered a bad cut on his ankle during Wednesday’s practice, reports NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). The cut required stitches, but the team is optimistic that he’ll be good to go for Saturday’s playoff game against the 49ers. As the reporter notes, the organization is “still gathering information and will proceed with caution.”

The wideout appeared in 10 games this season – the first time in his NFL career that he didn’t appear in all 16 regular season contests. He finished the regular season with 30 receptions for 418 yards and six scores. He had a standout game during the Vikings win over the Saints last weekend, hauling in seven receptions for 129 yards.

If Thielen was forced out of the lineup, Kirk Cousins will predictably lean on wideout Stefon Diggs. The team could also turn to the likes of Olabisi Johnson, Alexander Hollins, and Laquon Treadwell.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

Panthers general manager Marty Hurney will turn to head coach Matt Rhule as the team continues to rebuild the front office. Hurney told The Athletic’s Joe Person (Twitter link) that he’ll collaborate with Rhule as the organization hunts for an assistance GM. The executive cautioned that the search could take some time.
The Falcons will hire Joe Whitt Jr. for a defensive position on the coaching staff, reports ESPN’s Vaughn McClure. Whitt Jr. previously served as the Browns pass-game coordinator/secondary coach, and he was Atlanata’s assistant defensive backs coach back in 2007. It’s uncertain what specific role Whitt Jr. will take on under defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
Vic Tafur of The Athletic opines that the Raiders should add a playmaking wideout this offseason, and he notes that the organization “really like[s]” one impending free agent: Jets receiver Robby Anderson. Current Raiders senior offensive assistant John Morton was the Jets offensive coordinator when Anderson had his most productive season in 2017.

Injury Notes: Ingram, 49ers, Thielen, Fuller

January 8th, 2020 at 8:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

With every team booked into divisional-round action having now begun practice, here is the latest from the injury front going into Round 2. We’ll start with a midweek Vikings setback:

Stefon Diggs has missed two Vikings practices because of illness this week, but Mike Zimmer expects him to suit up in San Francisco. However, Adam Thielen suffered an ankle injury at practice and was limited on Wednesday as a result. Thielen was not on Minnesota’s Tuesday injury report. The Pro Bowl wideout missed much of this season with a hamstring injury. He caught seven passes for a game-high 129 yards against the Saints.
The NFL’s other purple-wearing team will likely go into its second-round game with backfield uncertainty. Previously expected to return for the Ravens‘ playoff opener, Mark Ingram has missed both Ravens practices this week. Ingram experienced a setback with his injured calf last week, leading to the Ravens to shut him down for a bit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). The Ravens are indicating there is a “realistic chance” Ingram plays. Baltimore backup Gus Edwards‘ 5.2 yards per carry ranked third in the NFL this season.
49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander has been cleared for game action, per Rapoport (video link), meaning it’s now Kyle Shanahan‘s call on whether to redeploy the high-priced defender Saturday. The 49ers used their second IR-return spot on Alexander, who is attempting to return from a midseason pectoral tear, but have not activated him yet.
Winding down an oft-injured season, Dee Ford is back at 49ers practice and appears ready to return at a key juncture. The veteran defensive end has dealt with a few maladies, his most recent being a hamstring issue that he aggravated in December. Ford’s gone through limited practices the past two days.
One of the NFL’s most important No. 2 wideouts, Will Fuller is trending in the right direction for the Texans‘ divisional-round rematch in Kansas City. The Texans expect their deep threat to return against the Chiefs, Rapoport tweets. Fuller was limited Wednesday. Deshaun Watson‘s QBR figure is 16 points higher when Fuller is on the field compared to when he’s not. The injury-prone wideout missed six games this season, the latest because of the groin injury he sustained in December.
Among the healthiest of the divisional-round teams, the Packers will have their right tackle back in the mix. Bryan Bulaga suffered a concussion in Week 17 but passed the protocol Wednesday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes. Kenny Clark, however, missed practice with a back injury. The contract-year defensive lineman played all 16 Packer games this season.