For the first time in his NFL career, Adam Thielen won’t be in a Minnesota Vikings uniform next season.
Instead, the veteran wideout, who spent nine seasons in Minnesota before getting released by the Vikings this offseason, will be sporting the colors of the Panthers after signing with Carolina on Sunday.
But did the 32-year-old come close to joining another team?
Thielen did reveal Monday on the “Pat McAfee Show” that the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys both showed interest in him, but the talks didn’t sway him enough from inking a deal with the Panthers.
“I had conversations with those teams and a few others,” Thielen said. “Again, the Panthers just felt like the best fit and it all kind of just worked out. It all happened kind of quickly. I didn’t know when it was going to happen and it just all kind of came at once.”
It’s not all that surprising that the Cowboys and Broncos checked in on Thielen, who was still productive last season with the Vikings as he totaled 70 receptions for 716 yards and six touchdowns.
The Cowboys have been looking to add another wide receiver and finally landed one when they traded for Brandin Cooks on Sunday. Meanwhile, Broncos wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton have been rumored in trades this offseason and Denver could have looked to Thielen as a possible replacement.
But Thielen ended up signing a three-year deal, worth a reported $25 million with the Panthers. It’s most likely the last big cash grab of Thielen’s career, but he said money wasn’t the biggest determining factor in his decision.
“A lot of people are going to say I went there for the money and all that, but honestly, at the end of the day, money was not a big deal,” Thielen said. “Of course, you want to get paid what you feel like you are worth. But at the end of the day, again, I wanted to go to a good situation for my family, for myself and ultimately that I felt like a place seriously had a chance at winning a Super Bowl. And again, I really do feel strongly with that.”
