Vikings legend Adam Thielen officially announces retirement from NFL

Thielen's final game came in the Steelers' blowout loss to the Texans in the wild card round on Monday night. Instead of getting an emotional sendoff with the Vikings, the competitor in Thielen wanted to pursue an opportunity to play more in the final month-plus of his NFL career. He got that with the Steelers, who won the AFC North and made it into the postseason, even if they wound up being bounced in dominant fashion in the opening round.

Thielen, 35, retires as a Vikings legend and one of the all-time great underdog success stories in the history of the league. The Detroit Lakes, MN native and former D-II Minnesota State standout landed with the Vikings as a rookie minicamp tryout player. He worked his way up from the practice squad to a special teams role and eventually a starting role as a wide receiver in his fourth season.

After his 2016 breakout, Thielen's peak run came over the next two seasons. He had 1,276 receiving yards in 2017 and then racked up 113 catches for 1,373 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2018. That '18 season began with Thielen recording eight consecutive 100-yard games. Thielen caught a career-high 14 touchdown passes in 2020.

Following a decade with the Vikings, Thielen spent two seasons with the Panthers, including a 1,000-yard campaign in 2023. He then returned to the Vikings via trade prior to last season, only to see a diminished role and ultimately wrap up his career in a Steelers uniform.

Thielen caught 704 passes for 8,497 yards and 64 touchdowns in 12 years of regular season action. He ranks third in Vikings history in receiving touchdowns, fourth in receptions, and fifth in receiving yards. He's a lock to be honored at U.S. Bank Stadium and go into the Vikings' Ring of Honor at some point in the not-too-distant future. What a story and what a career for the kid from Detroit Lakes.