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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen has played his whole career with the club, but there are questions centered around his future prospects of continuing to do so. As the Vikings look to clear cap space, Thielen's contract looks to be on the hook for restructuring, and if an agreement can't be reached, it could result in the long time Viking going elsewhere.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Adam Thielen made it clear his first option is to stay in Minnesota and continue playing for the Vikings.
"I would love to finish my career in Minnesota and I know that I can still play at a high level"@athielen19 #PMSinAZ pic.twitter.com/jNGtvuclkp
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 9, 2023
The high level part of Thielen's comments is where the sticking point could be in negotiations. In 2022, he caught 70 passes for 716 yards and six touchdowns. Playing alongside Justin Jefferson helps to free up more opportunities, but the emergence of K.J. Osborn could make Thielen expendable if the two sides can't agree to a restructuring of his contract.
Before the 2023 league year begins, the Vikings have to make some moves to get under the salary cap, and Thielen has a cap hit of almost $20 million. That's the second-highest on the team behind quarterback Kirk Cousins, and if other receivers are rising up, one could understand why Minnesota is looking at shaving a little bit off what's owed to Thielen.
Another factor is Thielen agreed to restructure his contract last season to give the Vikings some cap space, but the hit for this season increased as a result. While someone could see Minnesota's perspective, another person could see if the receiver doesn't want to keep adjusting his deal.
It'll be interesting to see if the two sides agree to terms, but from Thielen's perspective, option one is staying in Minnesota.
