A Minnesota Vikings helmet sits on the field Jan 1, 2023; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; A Minnesota Vikings helmet sits on the field during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

As the start of the new league year approaches, there are always some surprising cuts that take place. NFL teams will often part ways with long-tenured veterans in cap-cutting moves. That reportedly appears to be the case with a longtime Minnesota Vikings wide receiver, who could be moving on, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“There’s a real possibility that the Vikings and Adam Thielen will part ways in the coming days, allowing the two-time Pro-Bowl WR to become a free agent, per sources,” Schefter wrote. “The two sides will take in coming days, but his time in Minnesota could be coming to an end.”

Unless Thielen’s projected salary cap hit of $19.968 million comes down significantly, the Vikings are probably going to part ways with the Minnesota native, who turns 33 years old this summer. If the Vikings do release Thielen next week, they’ll need to do so with a post-June 1 designation. The Vikings would save $13.4 million in cap space, while absorbing $6.5 in dead money, per Over The Cap.

While Thielen is on the wrong side of 30, he’s still coming off a season in which he hauled in 70 receptions for 716 yards and six receiving touchdowns. He did that while playing opposite Justin Jefferson, who led the NFL in targets and was second in the league in receptions in 2022.

We’ll have to see what the Vikings decide on Thielen’s future, but this is an instance where a change of scenery could likely benefit both sides.

[Adam Schefer on Twitter]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.