The Buffalo Bills' wide receiving group has been a disappointment this season, leading to several moves throughout the campaign. The team brought back Gabe Davis and recently signed Brandin Cooks to provide some veteran stability in the group, but it hasn’t exactly solved the issues out wide.
Cooks caught one pass for 13 yards in his debut against Pittsburgh, and Davis has just five catches over the past three weeks.
It might seem foolhardy to keep similarly pursuing veteran free agents, but another option just became available for the Bills to potentially boost their passing game down the final stretch. Longtime Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen was granted his release by the team on Monday after an unceremonious second stint and is looking to finish his career with a championship contender.
Adam Thielen becomes a potential veteran option for the Buffalo Bills down the stretch
Thielen, 35, rejoined the Vikings ahead of the season, playing in 11 games and starting four. He only saw 18 targets, catching eight for 69 yards while also dropping three passes. The once-consistent volume slot threat is just two seasons removed from a 100+ catch and 1,000+ yard season with the Carolina Panthers, but he’s struggled to excel over the past two seasons.
Thielen confirmed in a statement after his release that the 2025 season will be his last in the NFL, and he’d like to finish up with a contender. The Bills are one of several teams in the playoff race who could use help at wide receiver, so it could be an option for general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott to consider.
Of course, the aforementioned signings of Davis and Cooks are two examples of similar efforts that haven't exactly had immediate or drastic impacts, and Thielen likely wouldn't be much different. Still, Thielen’s unproductivity this season isn’t just confined to his age and league standing - Minnesota’s passing offense has been terrible all season long. But it should wave a caution flag if Buffalo is willing to consider another addition.
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With Keon Coleman back in the lineup, hopefully, there won’t be much need for another receiver like Theilen going forward. Of course, it will take much more than a two-catch, nine-yard performance to instill confidence in Coleman among Bills fans, even with his touchdown grab against the Steelers.
A move for Thielen would also likely require releasing one of the receivers on the roster, which Thielen’s production doesn’t necessarily warrant. Unless the Bills find themselves overwhelmingly unimpressed with Davis or Cooks to the point that they would feel comfortable cutting one of them, adding Thielen doesn’t seem worth more than the initial consideration.