Just when you thought the Pittsburgh Steelers had enough veteran players in the twilight years of their career, they’ve added another one. On Tuesday, the franchise claimed veteran receiver Adam Thielen off of waivers. Thielen was recently waived by the Minnesota Vikings, after asking for his release so he could play a bigger role on a team that has a chance to contend. Minnesota and the Steelers have granted his wish.
It will be interesting to see what Thielen can offer to Pittsburgh. The veteran wideout is currently in his 12th season, and will likely retire in the offseason. On the year, he has just eight receptions for 69 yards in 11 games. With the Steelers, he’ll have the chance to prove if those numbers are a reflection of his current abilities, or just a result of a diminished role.
Steelers claim veteran receiver Adam Thielen off waivers
Hopefully for Pittsburgh, Thielen has something left in the tank. The team has needed wide receiver help all season, but no one had Thielen in mind. That’s because he’s 35 years old, on the verge of retirement, and hasn’t posted 1000 receiving yards in a season since 2023. In his defense, the two-time Pro Bowler, was a productive receiver for the Carolina Panthers last season, with 48 receptions for 615 yards and five touchdowns.
If Thielen can provide that level of production down the stretch of the regular season, and hopefully in the playoffs, he’d be viewed as a genius late-season addition. However, there isn’t a great deal of optimism that will be the case. For starters, his recent numbers don’t give fans a reason to be excited, and more importantly, the old-head squad that Pittsburgh has already been putting on the field this season hasn’t brought consistent results.
The team is 6-6 after 13 weeks, and unraveling by the day. If the Steelers can’t go on a run to end the year, they could end up giving Mike Tomlin his first losing season, and missing the playoffs. One reason why the team is facing this reality is that the franchise is committed to building a team around aging players whose best days are behind them.