Adam Thielen Just Unintentionally Raised the Bar for JJ McCarthy

The 2025 NFL season is nearly here, and the Minnesota Vikings face increasing pressure to succeed after last year's 14-win campaign. Certain players will be relied upon more than others to help Minnesota compete in a consistently tough NFC North division, but few Vikings are under as much pressure as second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Veteran QB Sam Darnold set the bar high with his Pro Bowl-quality campaign last season, leaving time to tell if McCarthy can and will fill his boots. It's a lot of pressure for any player to face, especially one who's yet to make an NFL start, and one of the ex-Michigan Wolverine's teammates may have raised the bar even further.

Vikings WR Adam Thielen Raises Bar for JJ McCarthy in 1st Year as Starter

The Vikings expanded their wide receiver room by reuniting with Adam Thielen earlier this week. The former Minnesota State product spent nine seasons with the franchise before spending the last two with the Carolina Panthers. On Thursday, Thielen was asked to reflect on his time with the Panthers, which led him to praise QB Bryce Young.

"(Young) deserves the respect. He's a great man. He's a great leader. And he's a great quarterback," Thielen said, mentioning the adversity the Panthers QB faced (h/t @alec_lewis). "I guarantee you I'm not here today without him. Him trusting me. Him giving me opportunities, and believing in me to be able to still continue to play this game that I love."

Questions lingered about Thielen's NFL future after failing to hit the 1,000-yard mark in each of his final four seasons with the Vikings. Signing with the Panthers in 2023 was seen as the beginning of the end of his career, but his connection with Young saved his career. The duo's chemistry led to the 35-year-old WR amassing 1,629 yards and nine touchdowns on 151 receptions in 27 starts.

Thielen was also on pace for over 1,000 yards last season, too, but injuries stopped that by limiting him to 10 games. Considering where his career was seemingly heading not too long ago, Thielen's praise for Young is valid while also raising the bar for the veteran pass-catcher's new QB.

McCarthy has a lot of potential, as most first-year talents do, but has yet to play a regular-season NFL game. He's now heard what Thielen had to say about Young, and feels pressure to have a similar impact right from the start. Frustration could mount if the Vikings duo's chemistry isn't instant, especially if fans have high hopes for Thielen in his Minnesota return and expect him to perform as he did with the Panthers.

McCarthy will make mistakes in his first year as a starter, so it'll be up to Thielen and the Vikings' other offensive weapons to make his life as easy as possible. Minnesota is a much more talented team than Carolina, so there isn't an excuse, making it interesting to see if Thielen will be singing McCarthy's praises this time next year.

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