The Minnesota Vikings waived Thielen, 35, on Monday to allow him to find a bigger role in what he said will be his final NFL season. In 11 games this season, Thielen caught eight passes for 69 yards. He had a 1,000-yard season as recently as 2023, when he had 1,014 yards on 103 receptions for the Panthers. He has 693 catches for 8,380 yards and 64 touchdowns in 12 seasons.