Adam Thielen could make intriguing addition for KC Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs could make Adam Thielen the sort of addition that JuJu Smith-Schuster was this season.

As of right now, Adam Thielen isn’t available, but that’s technically true of a lot of players who will be seeking employment in a matter of weeks. From the outside looking in, it seems only a matter of time until the Minnesota Vikings release the popular wide receiver to recoup some much-needed cap space heading into a new league year.

When it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs, Thielen is an intriguing name to bring up as a potential free agent signing, a talented wide receiver whose best days are behind him yet still has something left in the tank. Given several parameters on both sides—for both player and team—it feels like the sort of short-term relationship that could work for all parties involved.

Consider this: the Vikings already employ the best young wide receiver in the game in Justin Jefferson and they’re in the hole by over $23 million at this point, per Spotrac. The idea of cutting Thielen is nothing new for Vikings fans, as the team could save a quick $6.4 million with the decision, and it looks like an even more obvious choice when you acknowledge that Thielen isn’t quite the game-breaking target that he used to be.

Thielen hasn’t made a Pro Bowl since 2018—Patrick Mahomes’ first season in the league—so those days of dominance are behind him, but he’s remained a very steady receiver for Minnesota in the years since then. Last year, Thielen had 70 catches for 716 yards and 6 touchdowns and showed he can still be reliable by playing in all 17 games for the Vikings. The truth is that Thielen can also still be a menace in the red zone, as illustrated by his 30 touchdowns in the last three years—not bad for post-prime numbers—and Mahomes is the sort of statistical inflator that will make his numbers look even better.

For the Chiefs, here’s where this gets interesting. Thielen is not going to command any sort of massive deal in free agency, and his prime goal at this point is likely winning after putting together such a long career in Minnesota. Even though he’s stated that he wants to retire with the Vikings, Thielen’s wife posted this just a month ago:

https://twitter.com/WadeMar_/status/1614815846567649281

Remember, it was only a year ago that the Chiefs gave JuJu Smith-Schuster a one-year deal worth $2.5 million guaranteed with loads of incentives based on production and playing time. In the end, Smith-Schuster got a lot more money than that, but the Chiefs also saw him step right into a starring role on offense in a bounce-back season that nearly saw him reach the 1K-yard mark.  It makes sense for the Chiefs to offer this same sort of deal to Thielen who would enjoy playing with Mahomes and Travis Kelce and have a projected path toward a Super Bowl like never before.

For the Chiefs, Thielen would give them a productive veteran who could surprise given a change of scenery alongside a lot of returning players with variables like Skyy Moore (who rarely played), Kadarius Toney (who is often injured), and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (who can be inconsistent). The Chiefs could allow Smith-Schuster to walk toward a greater payday (or play hardball and hold firm knowing they have another option) and keep a proven productive player around hungry for a championship.

The arrangement would only likely last a single season, but the idea of bringing Thielen into K.C. would be a nice gain for everyone. It would also allow the Chiefs to draft another player this year while not plugging him in immediately. The cost should be fair, the drive for the player will be high, and the offense can remain as deep and dangerous as ever.