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Wide receiver Adam Thielen has been a key piece of the Minnesota Vikings offense for years now. But the 28-year-old is being criminally underpaid.
Thielen is reportedly hoping for a contract extension from the Vikings. On Friday, the team unofficially responded. Reports surfaced that the Vikings are looking to restructure his contract.
Via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press:
Sources say #Vikings are having ongoing conversations regarding contract of Adam Thielen, who has 2 years left on his deal and is underpaid. Sources say Vikings want to do Thielen right but it's impossible to say now if anything could happen soon or situation lingers thru summer.
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) March 8, 2019
According to Spotrac, Thielen currently has a base salary under $6 million for each of the next two seasons. He is then set to hit free agency. For one of the league's top wideouts and one of the team's best players, that contract is extremely underwhelming.
However, Minnesota might not have a lot of room to work with this offseason. They have quite a few other spots to address on their roster and not a whole lot of money to do so. According to Spotrac, the team currently has about $5 million available in cap space.
Thielen has been one of Minnesota's top offensive players. Last season, despite the team's struggles, he scored nine touchdowns. He also tallied 113 receptions for 1,373 yards. He also became the third undrafted player in NFL history to make at least 100 receptions in a season.
The 2018 season was disappointing for the Vikings. They went 8-7-1 and missed the playoffs despite going 13-3 in 2017 and entering the year with postseason expectations. They will look to upgrade a subpar offense this offseason in an effort to overtake the Chicago Bears in the NFC North. But for long-term success, locking up Thielen is a must.
