By Mallory Mattingly
Wide receiver Adam Thielen began his pro career with the Minnesota Vikings, and after being traded to the Carolina Panthers for two seasons, he’s heading home.
According to Sports Spectrm, Thielen “worked his way from the Vikings practice squad to two Pro Bowls and a spot among the franchise’s all-time leaders in receptions and touchdowns.”
On Wednesday, the Minnesota Vikings secured Thielen, who says he puts “God 1st” in his Instagram bio, in a trade with the Panthers, according to the NFL.
Thielen is the oldest receiver in the league at 35, and after two years away from Minnesota, he and his family are excited to return.
“We’re going home! We’re going home!” Thielen and his children said in a video as his daughter jumped for joy.
Related: Panthers Star Adam Thielen Leads Prayer Circle During Game
“WE’RE GOING HOME!”
Adam Thielen is HYPED to be returning to the #Vikings.
🎥: mrs_t_19 via IG pic.twitter.com/Atrk5ET4M3
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 27, 2025
Even though the Minnesota native is ready to be back, he has so much gratitude to the Panthers for picking him up as a free agent two years ago.
“Carolina, as a free agent in 2023, my family and I chose this team for a reason,” he wrote in a post on his Instagram. “We fell in love with the organization and the city on our free agent visit that has been home for us now for the past few years. Our family has grown here in so many ways because of the people we’ve met, schools, and sports we have been involved with. Carolina will always be an important part of our journey, from the relationships we’ve developed to the memories we’ve made during our time here as a Panther and as a family.”
“We always strived to represent the Panthers organization with pride on and off the field and help build a winning culture,” he continued. “I am glad I got to be a small part of that process and KNOW the future is very bright in Charlotte. The organization is on the right path because of leadership from the top to bottom that is in place today and the talent that has been developed on the field.
“To the Tepper family, to Dan (Morgan), to Coach Canales, all of my teammates, coaches, and organizations that supported the Thielen Foundation, thank you for your support day-in and day-out,” the wide receiver added. “To Carolina fans, thank you all for embracing my family and I and #KeepPounding.”
Out of high school, Thielen only received one college offer, and it was from Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minnesota. From that tiny town to the big leagues, he has trusted in God the entire way.
“It was the journey. It was the path God wanted me to take. It might not have been my choice, but it was God’s vision for me,” Thielen told CBN an interview in 2018. “He has a plan for us. In that moment, I might have been a little more frustrated, but the more you know the Lord, you know He’s got a reason and a rhyme for everything, and you’ve just got to trust it.”
Now, seven years later, Thielen continues to trust God as he goes back to Minnesota, where he will likely conclude his NFL career.
Read Next: Minnesota Vikings Player Declares His Faith: Jesus ‘Died For Me’
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