Adam Thielen breaks Vikings’ 1,000-yard receiver drought

Last season, Minnesota Vikings’ wide receiver Adam Thielen was threatening to become the first wide receiver to go over 1,000 yards in a season for the purple since Sidney Rice put up 1,312 yards in 2009. Needing just 40 yards to reach that number, the Chicago Bears held Thielen to just one catch for seven yards in that game, and he came up just short.

This season, Thielen left no doubt.

On Thursday, in the Vikings’ 11th game of 2017, Thielen led the Vikings in receiving, picking up 89 yards on eight catches. Those 89 yards gave him a total of 1,005 yards, meaning that the Vikings finally have a 1,000-yard receiver on their roster for the first time this decade.

The Vikings’ drought of going without a 1,000-yard receiver was the longest in the National Football League. I’m not sure who has the longest drought now, but it really doesn’t matter. We just know that it isn’t the Minnesota Vikings anymore.

And don’t look now, but this season by Thielen might end up with him having one of the top five seasons in terms of receiving yardage in team history. With five games remaining, Thielen has 1,005 yards. Here are the top five receiving yardage seasons in team history as things stand right now.

1. Randy Moss (2003) - 1,632 yards
2. Randy Moss (2000) - 1,437 yards
3. Randy Moss (1999) - 1,413 yards
4. Cris Carter (1995) - 1,371 yards
5. Randy Moss (2002) - 1,347 yards

Thielen would have to average a shade over 125 yards/game to take the top spot away from Moss, and that might be a tall order, but he needs just a little more than 68 yards/game to make that jump into the top five. He’s averaging 91 yards/game now, and if he were to keep up that pace, he’d wind up in the second spot on that list.

Just another potential milestone in what is turning into a season for the ages from Adam Thielen. Here’s hoping that he can keep up the pace for the next five weeks (and well beyond).