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After what was a relatively slow start to free agency by the Vikings, fans are probably Thielen a little better today.
With the departures of Charles Johnson and Cordarrelle Patterson to the Carolina Panthers (a.k.a. #VikingsSoutheast), the Vikings suddenly found themselves a little thin at wide receiver. They had already used a second-round tender on restricted free agent Adam Thielen, which still left the door open for other teams to sign him away. On Wednesday, the Vikings slammed that door shut by signing Thielen to a three-year extension:
Big restricted free-agent deal:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2017
Vikings and WR Adam Thielen reach agreement on three-year deal, per source.
Thielen stays in Minnesota.
The contract includes $11 million guaranteed according to Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, the deal has a base value of $17 million with incentives and escalators that could push the total value of the deal to $27 million:
Details on WR @athielen19's new deal w/ the @Vikings, via @MikeGarafolo:
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 15, 2017
- 3 years
- Worth up to $27M
- Base value $17M pic.twitter.com/1jTTLpB3fl
That’s a huge chunk of change for a kid from Minnesota State University-Mankato by way of Detroit Lakes, especially with Thielen’s humble NFL beginnings as an undrafted free agent. But with how much free agent wide receivers have been getting this week, that’s a very team-friendly deal for a receiver that flirted with the 1,000 yard milestone in 2017.
The extension means Thielen is signed with the Vikings through the 2020 season. It’s great to see a truly homegrown talent earn his payday and secure his future. It is certainly a great Thielen for the player, the team, and fans alike.
(Plus I get three more years of writing cheesy Thielen/feelin’ puns. Everyone’s a winner!)