Rumored Vikings trade reunion continues to gain steam at a cheap price

The Carolina Panthers have been the Chicago White Sox of the NFL this year, though the Panthers are in a bit of a better spot than the historically bad White Sox.

Still, the Panthers are practically holding their veterans hostage this season. They have a ton of talent on their roster that they could look to trade in the coming weeks in an attempt to kickstart their rebuild all over again.

Bryce Young is taking over at quarterback again, but the Panthers could be looking to move on from a pair of his wide receivers: Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen.

Vikings connected to Adam Thielen in trade pitched by NFL insiders

Both of these two wideouts will have a pretty decently hot market this season. There are a ton of teams that are looking to add pass catchers as they make their Super Bowl push. With Davante Adams, Amari Cooper and Deandre Hopkins coming off the board early, the market for Thielen and Johnson could be heating up.

Jacob Robinson and Dianna Russini of The Athletic recently made the suggestion that the Panthers should trade Adam Thielen back to the Minnesota Vikings.

"Vikings add Adam Thielen, sending the Panthers a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick. The 34-year-old — who is expected to practice this week — would return to his native Minnesota and to a franchise he didn’t intend to leave," Russini and Robinson wrote. "Back in purple and gold, he can man the slot position for Kevin O’Connell’s offense. But this feels like the Panthers doing the Vikings (and my fantasy team) a favor."

Adam Thielen is a natural fit for the Minnesota Vikings

Thielen has found himself on injured reserve for most of the year this season, but he's finally back as a limited participant at practice. As he inches closer to full health, the trade rumors will heat up quickly.

Thielen would be the perfect addition to a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Vikings, though the Athletic Staff projects the Steelers to land Cooper Kupp instead. That puts the former Vikings standout receiver back in Minnesota alongside Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.

Thielen would be an ideal slot option alongside these two outside receivers. The veteran knows his way in and around the Vikings organization. He understands the way they do business and what they need to do to win.

Plus, Thielen would be one of the cheaper players to go out and trade for this season. The Vikings very well could make this idea a reality here soon.