The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of work to do this offseason. As many football fans predicted, their 13-4 record was misleading and they were not a threat to make a playoff run. They have a lot of big decisions to make and one of them is what to do with veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen.

Minnesota and Thielen could end up splitting as the NFL offseason goes on, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Fowler notes that the Vikings are a team to watch when it comes to making moves with its veteran players, singing out Thielen.

“Receiver Adam Thielen's $20 million cap hit must be reworked, and it wouldn't surprise if talks resulted in a fresh start,” writes Fowler. “His role in the offense could be an issue after Thielen averaged 6.4 targets per game, down from 7.3 in 2021. He believes he has more to offer than that, and Minnesota very well could enter the receiver market in free agency or via trade.”

Justin Jefferson makes for a very strong centerpiece of an offense and is in need of a contract extension. The Vikings have to pay him but that means they'll have to trim some salary. Thielen and other veterans with big contracts may now be on the chopping block to make that (and other moves) easier to pull off.

Unless the Vikings plan to target Thielen more in the passing game, their successful nine-year run together could soon be over. They can use one of their draft picks to try to find his replacement or lean more into K.J. Osborn and T.J. Hockenson.