Adam Thielen has become one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, but he had to move up the depth chart to get there.
In a story that has been told many times, Thielen was a wideout from Mankato State University, who did not get invited to the NFL combine, or get drafted.
He ended up signing with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2013. After that, he kept making plays on special teams and as a wideout, until Minnesota had no choice but to play him more.
Then, Thielen broke out in 2016, and has become the wide receiver he is today. However, he thinks that if the coronavirus pandemic hit during his rookie year, things would have been different.
“Honestly, I probably wouldn’t be in the NFL if this would’ve happened my rookie year,” he told The Athletic’s Chad Graff.
Thielen suffered a hamstring injury in 2019, and he only played in 10 regular season games. Now, he will have to step up and take even more responsibility in the passing game on account of Stefon Diggs getting traded to the Bills this offseason.