It was a pairing fans might have thought would last a long time in Minnesota: Kirk Cousins and Adam Thielen. The Vikings moved on from Thielen after the 2022 season in which the 10-year Minnesota receiver signed a deal with the Carolina Panthers. Cousins, as we all know, signed a massive deal with the Atlanta Falcons, which ended his career as a Viking.
For the first time since his Cousins’ surprise departure, Thielen spoke with Andrew Kramer of the Star Tribune. The now-Panthers’ receiver thought it was a surprising move from both sides.
“I didn’t expect it from an outside perspective because of how well he played last year and him coming into his own of being that leader,” Thielen said of Cousins’ departure on an episode of the Star Tribune’s “Access Vikings” podcast. “That’s the first time I felt like in his career that he’s really truly been out there, been himself and played at a high level.”
That last sentence is a little juicy. I’m not sure if it was meant that way, but Thielen mentions that it was the first time Cousins played at that high level.
Thielen went on to say that he believes both General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Head Coach Kevin O’Connell are doing a great job at building the Vikings into something special. He even went back to his final season with Minnesota and explained that they both had vision then of how the team would feel and look in a couple of seasons.