Vikings receiver Adam Thielen is cashing in with incentives

December 11, 2017 at 5:39PM
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Minnesota Vikings's Adam Thielen breaks away from Carolina Panthers' Daryl Worley and picks up 7 yards on the play in the fourth quarter on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. (Brian Peterson/Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS) ORG XMIT: 1218168
(TNS - TNS/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Minnesota Vikings' Adam Thielen. (Brian Peterson/Minneapolis Star Tribune)Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen scored his fourth touchdown of the season when he took a crossing route from Case Keenum 52 yards for a fourth-quarter score in Sunday's 31-24 loss to the Panthers.

That gave Thielen six catches in the game and 80 this season, which triggered an escalator clause in his base salary of $2.85 million for the 2018 season. He'd already put himself in line to earn an extra $500,000 for next season by catching 70 passes, then earned another $250,000 when he hit 80. If Thielen catches another 10 passes in the Vikings' final three games to finish with 90, he'd wind up with a $1 million escalator clause for 2018.

The former undrafted free agent from Detroit Lakes, Minn., and Minnesota State Mankato signed a four-year extension with the team in March.

about the writer

Ben Goessling

Sports reporter

Ben Goessling has covered the Vikings since 2012, first at the Pioneer Press and ESPN before becoming the Star Tribune's lead Vikings reporter in 2017. He was named one of the top NFL beat writers by the Pro Football Writers of America in 2024, after honors in the AP Sports Editors and National Headliner Awards contests in 2023.

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