The Adam Thielen era is over in Minnesota.
On Friday, the Minnesota Vikings announced that they released Thielen, ending a nine-year relationship.
The #Vikings have released WR Adam Thielen. https://t.co/O9kuLEUhir pic.twitter.com/1ifgBHlmYU
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) March 10, 2023
During that time, Thielen blossomed into one of the better wide receivers in the league. In 2017 and 2018, he was a Pro Bowler, reaching over 1,000 yards in both seasons.
The move saves the Vikings $6.417 million against the cap but does incur a hefty dead-cap penalty. Regardless, Thielen’s release helps the Vikings become cap compliant and opens up more possibilities to upgrade the team in free agency.
While replacing Thielen’s status off-the-field won’t be easy, here are 11 players the Vikings can sign to help replace his production on it.