Adam Thielen made a sacrifice to join his former team.

Thielen, 35, took a $2 million pay cut that helped finalize the trade that sent him back to the Vikings from the Panthers on Wednesday, ESPN reported Saturday.

The two teams went back and forth on the deal for over a week, with some of the delay being attributed to draft pick compensation. 3

The Vikings gave up a 2026 fifth-round pick, a 2027 fourth-round selection, a conditional seventh-round pick in 2026 and a fifth-round pick in 2027 in exchange for Thielen .

Thielen got a $1.5 million raise to make his salary $7 million for 2025, but the Vikings refused to pay a portion of the two-time Pro Bowler’s salary, ESPN reported.

Thielen’s decision to take a pay cut ultimately made the deal work for both teams.

Following the

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