When an undrafted wide receiver from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, signs with his childhood team and becomes a two-time Pro Bowler, you’d think his journey ends with a storybook finish. Instead, Adam Thielen’s 13-year NFL run concluded not in purple and gold, but in black and gold with the Pittsburgh Steelers. A fitting testament to a career built on grit rather than glamour.

For the Steelers, the first big blow came in the Wild Card round when they lost 30-6 to the Houston Texans. Then, marking the end of an era, head coach Mike Tomlin stepped away from the Steelers after 19 successful seasons. And now, Adam Thielen has also made it official: it’s time to hang up the cleats.

“What a ride it has been! 13 years what a blessing!” Thielen wrote on an Instagram story capping off his retirement. “Have been blessed with so many great relationships and mentors over the years that I am forever grateful for! Thank you to everyone who has supported me through the years. It has meant everything to my family and I!”

Playing with the Minnesota Vikings for most of the 2025 season, Thielen got very little opportunity to contribute to the team. With November drawing to a close, he had only managed 8 catches for 69 yards and no touchdowns. It was then that he requested to be waived from the Vikings roster. The team granted his wish on December 1, and Theilen decided to call it quits once the season ended.

The Steelers then gave him one last chance by claiming him off waivers the very next day. But now that the Steelers’ campaign is at an end, so is Thielen’s NFL career. For the crowds waving Terrible Towels who only witnessed the twilight, Thielen’s departure might seem a little insignificant. Even more so when it comes after losing their head coach. But for Vikings faithful, this retirement closes a chapter on one of the most improbable success stories in the franchise’s history.

Adam Thielen: a career built on proving everyone wrong

Going undrafted in 2013 from Minnesota State, Adam Thielen attended a rookie tryout with the Vikings. He earned a practice squad spot, even got some preseason action, and then spent years as a special teams ace before breaking through as a receiver.

His breakout arrived spectacularly during the 2018 season when he opened with eight consecutive 100-yard receiving games, an NFL record. That streak tied Calvin Johnson’s record for most consecutive 100-yard performances overall and stands alone for most to begin a season. He finished that year with 113 receptions for 1,373 yards, cementing back-to-back Pro Bowl selections.

Thielen’s 2020 campaign produced 14 receiving touchdowns, the most by a Vikings receiver since Randy Moss caught 17 back in 2000. Over 178 career games, he accumulated 704 receptions for 8,497 yards and 64 touchdowns. But even beyond those numbers, Adam Thielen represented everything that football romanticizes. This was a hometown kid who pretended to be Randy Moss and Cris Carter in his backyard and eventually joined them in Vikings lore.

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His final season produced modest numbers, just 11 catches for 117 yards in five games with the Steelers. Not a single touchdown to his name in the last chapter of his NFL story. But stats never told his complete story anyway. His legacy now lives in the countless undrafted players who’ll think of him when doubt creeps in; proof that the NFL draft doesn’t define destiny.