Vikings hometown hero Adam Thielen waived after requesting to 'go compete elsewhere'

Adam Thielen is nary longer a subordinate of the Minnesota Vikings.

A peculiar concern for the Minnesota fan-favorite wide receiver came to a adjacent connected Monday, arsenic the squad waived the 35-year-old aft helium requested to decorativeness his NFL vocation elsewhere earlier retiring.

Thielen and the Vikings confirmed the quality with societal media posts connected Monday, with Thielen releasing a connection saying this volition beryllium his past play successful the NFL.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Bundle FOX One and FOX Nation to watercourse the full FOX Nation library, positive unrecorded FOX News, Sports, and Entertainment astatine our lowest terms of the year. The connection ends connected Jan. 4, 2026. (Fox One; Fox Nation)

Because the Vikings are present 4-8 and person precise small accidental of reaching the playoffs, Thielen wants to caput to a squad that could usage immoderate receiver extent for a hopeful Super Bowl run.

"This is tremendously hard for maine to constitute and surely not however immoderate of america ideate this to go," Thielen’s connection began. "As a Minnesota native, putting connected this azygous implicit the years and representing this assemblage some connected and disconnected the tract has ever meant that overmuch much to me. This squad is successful my bones, it’s successful my bosom and it’s portion of my DNA. I volition ALWAYS beryllium a Minnesota Viking.

"Since this past Spring, I knew this was going to beryllium my past play playing successful the National Football League. Given that, the Vikings allowed maine the accidental to spell vie elsewhere for the past fewer weeks of my career."

VIKINGS' MAX BROSMER TO START VS SEAHAWKS, BECOMING 19TH BACKUP QUARTERBACK TO START THIS SEASON

As Thielen mentioned, being from Minnesota, and having joined his location state’s squad arsenic an undrafted escaped cause retired of Minnesota State, it’s a hard determination to look elsewhere to decorativeness his career.

In 2014, Thielen got his archetypal ace astatine the NFL with the Vikings, wherever helium would yet make into 1 of the team’s apical pass-catching options. In 2016, helium had a breakout play with 967 receiving yards connected 69 receptions with 5 touchdowns.

Then, Thielen had back-to-back Pro Bowl campaigns successful 2017 and 2018, totaling astatine slightest 1,276 yards and 4 touchdowns successful each of them. His champion twelvemonth came successful 2018, erstwhile helium tallied 1,373 yards with 9 touchdowns implicit 16 games for Minnesota.

As Justin Jefferson was drafted by the Vikings and intelligibly became 1 of the champion receivers successful the game, Thielen moved to a WR2 role, though helium remained a captious portion of the Vikings’ violative formula.

Adam Thielen of the Minnesota Vikings warms up earlier the NFL 2025 crippled against the Chicago Bears astatine U.S. Bank Stadium connected Nov. 16, 2025 successful Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)

In 2023, though, Thielen signed with the Carolina Panthers aft 9 seasons with the Vikings. Carolina remained a rebuilding team, but Thielen enactment up 1,014 yards with 4 touchdowns successful 17 games his archetypal play with the squad. After a 10-game play for him successful 2024 with the Panthers, Thielen returned to his Vikings for his 12th season.

With Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor and T.J. Hockenson each needing passes thrown to them, Thielen had been successful a extent relation with the Vikings, who besides haven’t recovered consistency astatine backmost with J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz and present Max Brosmer struggling successful his debut connected Sunday.

It’s chartless wherever Thielen whitethorn onshore present successful the NFL, though helium volition beryllium disposable to adhd erstwhile helium clears waivers.

That being said, Thielen promised the Vikings faithful that helium volition beryllium returning astatine immoderate constituent to marque definite helium retires with the squad he’s ever loved.

"Minnesota volition ever beryllium our location and we are incredibly grateful to the Wilf family, [general manager] Kwesi [Adofo-Mensah], KO [head manager Kevin O’Connell], [executive vice president] Rob [Brzezinski] and everyone successful the Vikings enactment for bringing america backmost successful August. This enactment means the satellite to america from the apical down and this locker country is filled with existent professionals.

Adam Thielen of the Minnesota Vikings looks connected anterior to the commencement of the crippled against the Chicago Bears astatine U.S. Bank Stadium connected Nov. 16, 2025 successful Minneapolis, Minnesota. (David Berding/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"With gratitude and emotion and I’ll beryllium backmost to retire!"

Adofo-Mensah issued a connection done the Vikings’ societal media, which commended everything Thielen had done for the organization.

"Following discussions done the play and retired of respect for Adam, we person agreed to springiness him the accidental to prosecute much playing clip elsewhere. Adam is 1 of the all-time large Vikings, and we privation him and his household continued success."

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.