One of the NFL’s best underdog stories over the last decade is officially coming to an end.
Adam Thielen, the longtime Vikings receiver who also played for the Panthers and Steelers, announced Wednesday he is retiring from the NFL. The 35-year-old wraps up his playing career with 704 receptions for 8,497 yards and 64 touchdowns.
Thielen addressed his decision in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
"What a ride it has been!” Thielen wrote on his Instagram story. “13 years what a blessing! Have been blessed with so many great relationships and mentors over the years that I am forever grateful for! Thank you to everyone who has supported me through the years it has meant everything to my family and I.”
Thielen, born and raised in Detroit Lakes, Minn., was never supposed to make it in the NFL. He played college football at DII Minnesota State-Mankato and went undrafted in 2013. Thielen had job interviews lined up to sell dental equipment after college before he tried out with the Vikings and spent the ‘13 campaign on the practice squad. In 2014, Thielen made the Vikings’ roster and debuted, catching eight passes for 137 yards and a touchdown.
The 2016 campaign was Thielen’s breakout year. He caught 69 passes for 967 yards and five touchdowns, and he was named to the Pro Bowl the next two years, racking up over 1,200 receiving yards in both 2017 and ‘18.
Thielen ranks fourth in Vikings history with 542 catches and fifth in receiving yards (6,751).
Following the 2022 season, the Vikings released Thielen, and the Panthers signed him to a three-year deal worth $25 million. After two years in Carolina, the Vikings traded back for Thielen ahead of the 2025 campaign, but he caught just eight passes in 11 games, and Minnesota waived him in December to give the receiver an opportunity to sign with a playoff team.
Thielen signed with the Steelers and caught 11 passes for 117 yards in five games. In the Steelers’ season-ending 30–6 loss to the Texans in the wild-card round, Thielen logged two catches for 25 yards.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Adam Thielen Posts Message After Announcing His Retirement From the NFL.
