Vikings deep dive: Adam Thielen's 500+ career catches
MINNEAPOLIS -- Adam Thielen continues to carve his feats in the walls of the hallowed halls of Vikings history.
During last weekend's win over the Washington Commanders, the hometown kid and former undrafted free agent receiver notched his 500th reception. It's a feat only two other Vikings have accomplished: Cris Carter and Randy Moss. Thielen added two more catches Sunday to put him at 502 in his career. Carter caught 1,004 balls for the Vikings, and Moss 587.
Thielen's 502 catches have amassed him 6,384 yards and 51 touchdowns. The yardage is good for fifth in team history, while the TDs put him fourth.
His first catch came on Oct. 2, 2014, the year after he signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent. Then-QB Christian Ponder hit Thielen for 13 yards and a first down against the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings lost that game 42-10.
Thielen's first receiving touchdown came nearly two months later, when the Vikings hosted the Bears on Dec. 28, 2014. It was a 44-yard bomb from Teddy Bridgewater that proved to be the winning score in a 13-9 Vikings victory.
His longest reception was on Christmas Eve 2016, when he beat two Packers cornerbacks for a 71-yard touchdown from Sam Bradford. The Vikings lost 38-25 that day.
Thielen has had more success against the Packers than any other team, catching 77 passes for 1,022 yards and seven TDs against Green Bay. He has 168 catches for 2,045 yards and 14 touchdowns against all NFC North foes.
He's had 21 games of 100+ yards, and one with 200+ -- the aforementioned Christmas Eve matchup with the Packers (202).
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The most receptions Thielen logged in a single game were 14, in a Sept. 23, 2018 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He was targeted 19 times and gained 105 yards.
Thielen has had eight multi-touchdown games, and 12 games with no drops.
Even at 32 years old, Thielen is still an important part of the Vikings' offense. This season, he's caught 38 passes for 418 yards and two touchdowns. He's no longer the team's No. 1 option -- that honor belongs to Justin Jefferson -- but he's had key catches in big spots and is as reliable as ever.
Jefferson, by the way, is already more than halfway to 500 catches at 255. It's likely that, by the end of the season, he'll break into the top 10 in receiving yardage in Vikings history.
Meanwhile, if Thielen's tenure in Minnesota lasts another year or two, he has a good shot at passing Moss' 587 receptions.
