Adam Thielen traded back to the Vikings

The Vikings have traded for Adam Thielen. The Detroit Lakes native who starred at Division II Minnesota State University in Mankato has been acquired by the Vikings in a trade with the Carolina Panthers, marking his return to the team that he starred for from 2014 to 2022.

In exchange for Thielen, a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick, the Vikings are trading a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Panthers.

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Thielen immediately becomes Minnesota's No. 2 wide receiver behind Justin Jefferson for the first three weeks of the season while Jordan Addison serves a suspension. When Addison returns in Week 4, the Vikings will boast a trio of receivers in Jefferson, Addison and Thielen that could rival the "Three Deep" Vikings of the late 1990s and early 2000s when Randy Moss, Cris Carter and Jake Reed dominated the league.

Add former Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson to the mix and 22-year-old quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who has worked out with Thielen the last two summers, will have no shortage of weapons at his disposal.

Thielen racked up 534 catches for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns in nine seasons with the Vikings before he was released on March 10, 2023. He signed with Carolina and showed he had plenty left in the tank when he finished the 2023 season with 103 catches for 1,004 yards and four touchdowns. He was on pace for another 100-catch season in 2024 until an injury slowed him down and limited him to 10 games. He still finished with 48 receptions for 615 yards and five touchdowns.

Thielen's return provides instant relief for a Vikings roster that needed trusted experience in the wide receiver room. With Addison serving a three-game suspension, the need arose when Rondale Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury and Jalen Nailor went down with a hand injury in a joint practice against the Patriots. Nailor is believed to be week-to-week, but a timelime for his return hasn't been provided by the Vikings.

Without adding a veteran like Thielen, the Vikings risked entering the regular-season opener Sept. 8 against the Bears with Tai Felton, Tim Jones or Myles Price as the No. 2 receiver behind Jefferson.