Fans react during the game between Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium.

A day following his exit from the Minnesota Vikings, veteran Adam Thielen was picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers off the waiver wire.

Thielen is in his 12th and final year as a wide receiver in the NFL, having played a decade of his career in Minnesota. The longtime Viking wanted to end things in Minnesota and have a chance at making it to his first-ever Super Bowl. Yet the carousel of bad quarterback play has made the 2024 contender one of the most disappointing teams of 2025.

Seeing the writing on the wall, Thielen approached the Vikings front office last week on a possible opt-out to try and find a competitive team to finish his career on. The two sides reached an agreement, leading to Thielen's release on Monday.

Although a former Pro Bowler almost a decade ago, Thielen's numbers have fallen year after year since his heyday as one of the more reliable hands in the league. In 2025, even with the poor quarterback play, Thielen has been a non-factor, with eight catches for 69 yards and no touchdowns.

For the Steelers, it's a low-risk maneuver, bringing in a depth piece who might find a spark on a team playing for the playoffs and could make a run in a seemingly wide-open AFC. In Thielen's case, he at least has a better chance to end his career in the playoffs for Pittsburgh than the current happenings in Minnesota, which are also pointing towards Pittsburgh, but for the draft that will be held there in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Pittsburgh Steelers sign former Pro Bowl Wide Receiver

Reporting by Tyler Erzberger, Touchdown Wire / Touchdown Wire

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect