The 2025 NFL regular season is less than two weeks away from starting. Much like the rest of the league, the Cleveland Browns are facing a crunch as Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline rapidly approaches, leaving time to tell who will and won't be suiting up for head coach Kevin Stefanski's staff this fall.
Even though Browns fans have a good idea of what this year's 53-man roster will look like, there's still time for general manager Andrew Berry to add reinforcements. That could include a talented wide receiver who's rumored to be on the trade block and is someone who Stefanski knows quite well.
Vikings have inquired about trading for Panthers WR Adam Thielen, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 22, 2025
With WR Jordan Addison serving a three-game suspension and Jalen Nailor dealing with a hand injury, Thielen could wind up starting opening night for the Vikings if they can complete the trade. pic.twitter.com/ep7lrSbYo2
On Friday, NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Minnesota Vikings are trying to trade for Carolina Panthers WR Adam Thielen. The former Pro Bowl wideout knows Stefanski from when the Browns coach served as the Vikings' QBs coach and offensive coordinator, giving Cleveland all the reason to beat Minnesota to the punch with the following projected trade.
Browns Reunite Kevin Stefanski with WR Adam Thielen in Projected Trade
In the above trade, the Browns would acquire Thielen from the Panthers in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick. Day 3 selections don't always develop into full-time NFL players, so shedding a fifth-round to add a known commodity in Thielen is a fair exchange — especially with his being on an expiring contract.
The Browns' WR situation right now isn't anything special. Jerry Jeudy is coming off a career year, Cedric Tillman is improving, and Jamari Thrash and Isaiah Bond have potential, but there's little to be excited about beyond the quartet. That's where Thielen would come in and give the unit a much-needed boost.
The 35-year-old playmaker's best days are in the rearview, but he's still serviceable in a WR2/3 role. Thielen's most recent 1,000-yard performance was only two seasons ago, and he still found success last season despite being limited to 10 games due to injury, tallying 48 catches for 615 yards and five touchdowns. The 12.8 yards per catch he averaged was his best output of the last five seasons, and he even finished with the 29th-best offense grade (76.4) among 98 WRs on Pro Football Focus.
Additionally, a reunion with Stefanski could motivate Thielen to continue producing into his 12th NFL campaign. The Browns head coach was with the Vikings throughout the experience playmaker's first six seasons, which is a stretch where he recorded a 323-4,315-25 stat line in 90 games, all while amassing two Pro Bowl appearances and one All-Pro second-team nod.
That isn't to say that Thielen would have an accolade-filled campaign in Cleveland. Those days are in the past. However, he could still be a useful threat to help take pressure off Jeudy and Tillman, whether Joe Flacco is under center all year or is replaced down the line.
With the attention he's getting, the Browns must trade for Thielen soon before another team beats them to the punch.