After nine seasons, it looks like Adam Thielen is out as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. The franchise is on the verge of releasing the Pro Bowl pass-catcher in a move to save the team $6.4 million next season. So, if the WR is out, the best Adam Thielen destinations will include teams like the Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, and New England Patriots.

Adam Thielen is one of the best homegrown stories in all of sports.

The NFL wide receiver grew up in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, about three hours northwest of Minneapolis. He then played college football at Division II Minnesota State, about an hour and a half southwest of the Twin Cities. Finally, after going undrafted in 2013, Thielen played his entire nine-year NFL career with the Vikings.

In that near-decade-long career, Thielen caught 534 passes for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns. If he does leave the team, he’ll go down as No. 3 all-time in receptions and receiving touchdowns and No. 4 in receiving yards.

Thielen will turn 33 in August and hasn’t had an 80-plus-catch, 1,000-plus-yard season since 2018. That said, he can still be a productive pass-catcher in the NFL, especially if he ends up at one of these top Adam Thielen destinations.

Atlanta Falcons

Whether the Atlanta Falcons 2023 quarterback is Desmond Ridder, Lamar Jackson, or C.J. Stroud, that passer will need WR help.

Rookie Drake London showed that he has star potential last season, and before his injury, Kyle Pitts also had flashes. However, the team’s second-leading receiver, Olamide Zaccheaus, is a free agent this offseason.

Whether the team returns Zaccheaus or not, a sure-handed veteran like Adam Thielen would be a perfect fit for the Falcons' WR room. And not just to benefit the QB. He could also help bring along London and Pitts as he did with Justin Jefferson.

Las Vegas Raiders

The 2023 Raiders are already all-in for the next season or two with veteran stars like Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow, Darren Waller, Maxx Crosby, and Chandler Jones on the book. However, they also have a surprising amount of cap room

The team currently boasts $39,714,140 in cap space, the fourth-most in the league.

Since the Raiders are out on Aaron Rodgers and Jackson, they shouldn’t have to pay a QB all that much in 2023, even if they sign the best one left on the market, Jimmy Garoppolo.

If the Raiders become the preferred Adam Thielen destination, pairing with Adams, Renfrow, and Waller will give the team the best WR corps, top to bottom, in the league next year. And that will benefit any player who goes under center.

New England Patriots

As rumors and gossip continue to leak out the Patriots organization about how bad last year was with Mac Jones at QB and Matt Patricia as the “offensive coordinator,” one of the things that gets lost is how bad the team’s WRs are.

And on top of the lack of talent at WR, the Patriots are about to lose their leading receiver, Jakobi Meyers, in free agency.

Unlike the Raiders and Falcons, the Patriots aren’t an Adam Thielen destination with a true No. 1 receiver who will allow the veteran to operate in single coverage all the time. That said, the Patriots have enough varied wideouts — DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton — to give Thielen a good chance to contribute.

With a real OC in Bill O’Brien back in the play-calling seat, the Patriots' offense should look much better this season. And the last time O’Brien was in New England, he has a sure-handed veteran in Deion Branch in his arsenal.

The Branch role is exactly how the Patriots could use the former Viking if it ends up being the final Adam Thielen destination.

Baltimore Ravens

As the Lamar Jackson contract drama rages on, it now looks like another season for the signal-caller with the Ravens is the most likely outcome. Whether that is the case or not, the Ravens' second-biggest problem right now is the franchise’s lack of reliable wide receivers.

The truth is, Devin Duvernay and Rashod Bateman simply aren’t getting it done in Baltimore, and Jackson needs more help on the outside to regain his MVP form.

Jackson’s best friends as pass-catchers have always been tight ends, with Mark Andrews being the top guy. At this stage in his career, Thielen operates much like a TE and could quickly get on the same page with his QB.

As Jackson would be the best QB the former Vikings wideout would play with among these Adam Thielen destinations, regaining his 1,000-yard form wouldn’t be completely out of the question with the Ravens.