Adam Thielen trade grades: Vikings soar, Panthers flounder

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox gave the Vikings a pristine A grade for being able to fill a major, crucial need with a player they're familiar with, who can come in and learn quickly since he's been in the offense before, and is beloved by fans.

The Panthers got a disappointing C+ grade, although Knox did admit there's some value in extracting picks from a player who wasn't going to stick around. In total, the Panthers sent a 2027 fifth and 2026 conditional seventh with Thielen for a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick.

"It was a logical move because the Vikings won't have No. 2 receiver Jordan Addison for the first three games of the season due to a suspension," Knox wrote. "Thielen should quickly mesh with head coach Kevin O'Connell, who joined the franchise in the receiver's final season before joining Carolina."

Unfortunately, it's not all that logical for the Panthers. "The move makes just a little less sense for the Panthers, who need Bryce Young to take the proverbial next step this season," Knox said. Thielen has been really great with the Panthers and a godsend for Young as a veteran target.

"His absence will be missed, even with new pieces like Rico Dowdle and Tetairoa McMillan joining the lineup," Knox added. "Of course, Thielen is on a one-year deal, and the Panthers are widely expected to be at least a year away from contention. From an off-field perspective, there's value in cashing in Thielen now."

This all sort of happened in the last few days. Thielen wasn't on the trade block at all. The Panthers wanted him and he wanted to stay. However, when a return to Minnesota became possible, that became Thielen's desire, and the Panthers didn't have to trade him, but it made the most sense at that point.