The Minnesota Vikings brought a hometown hero back into the fold by trading with the Carolina Panthers to acquire veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen. The move made a lot of sense on the field, as the Vikings will be thin at receiver as Jordan Addison serves a three-game suspension, but it was also a move that will strengthen the community and bond between the team and its city, which head coach Kevin O’Connell acknowledged.
“Adam’s one of those guys — I think I mentioned it before — I’ve kept in touch with a bunch of players from that team that either moved on that year or maybe even the following year for whatever the reason, whether it’s the business of the NFL or just the truth of the NFL, you don’t ever forget impacts on you like one that I had with Adam Thielen,” O’Connell said, according to Pro Football Talk.
“And there’s so many things about him. It’s his energy every day. We felt it yesterday as soon as he arrived. It’s his love of football. It’s his love of his journey, what his journey specifically means to our organization.
“And I know how much he means to our fans, and I know how much he’s going to mean to our football team, even beyond getting to bring back a player in such high regard like Adam; it’s bringing back a really good football player.”
However, the Vikings look very different from the last time Thielen was a member of the franchise, and it’ll be interesting to see how he fits into the offense, which is now led by young quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
“[E]ven yesterday, he was excited about a lot of those things, and we’re talking through a lot of those things,” O’Connell said. “And then, the challenge for all of us is, where do we go from here this year with Adam in a really good group of players? Not only at the receiver position — tight end position, running back position, the offensive line, and then, obviously our quarterback room, led by J.J.
“So, it’s going to be a fun journey for all of us, but specifically to Adam, you really felt it from the moment he stepped back in this building yesterday, not only how much it meant to him, but how much you know he can bring to this organization.”
Thielen’s presence and experience could be just what McCarthy needs to become a star in the league.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.