Overview

• Thielen agreed to a revised contract that trims his 2025 salary by $2 million and removes $4 million in incentives to ease the Vikings’ cap, per NFL Network reporting cited by Reuters.
• Carolina sent Thielen plus a conditional 2026 seventh-rounder and a 2027 fifth to Minnesota for a 2026 fifth and a 2027 fourth, with the conditional pick tied to Thielen’s availability.
• The reunion gives rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy a familiar, reliable target as Minnesota navigates Addison’s three-game suspension and Nailor’s hand injury in Kevin O’Connell’s system.
• Thielen said the move surprised him, noting he learned of it the morning before it happened, and he returns as one of the franchise’s all-time leaders in receptions and receiving touchdowns.
• Panthers GM Dan Morgan emphasized confidence in a younger receiving corps featuring Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, while Thielen credited Bryce Young’s trust for extending his own productivity.