Thielen is now a Steeler just a day after making a request to the Vikings to be waived. That allowed for him to try and find some more playing time in what is his final year in the league.
The 35-year-old was not active for Minnesota during their 26-0 reverse to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. He had just four starts this year, making eight catches for 69 yards from 11 total appearances in 2025.
Thielen spent most of his career in Minnesota since entering the league in 2013 as an undrafted player. He has twice featured in the Pro Bowl throughout his playing time.
The Vikings released the wide receiver in March 2023, where he joined the Carolina Panthers. He only spent two years there before being traded back to Minnesota in August of this year. The deal came with several draft picks going both ways.
Overall, Thielen has 693 cathces for 8,380 yards and 64 touchdowns. Those all came in 173 regular season matches, 132 of which he started.
The Steelers also opted to release Darius Slay with a little over a month left in the regular season. Despite being 34, ESPN reports that he intends to continue his career, and "will consider signing with other teams."
The cornerback has 36 tackles and a fumble recovery across 10 games this year, nine of which he started.
Over his career, Slay has 28 interceptions and 163 passes defensed over 187 games with the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Pittsburgh. He made a name for himself in Detroit, where he was drafted in 2013, making three Pro Bowls during his time with the team.
He then had another three-year run of Pro Bowls between 2021 and 2023, all occurring while he was with the Eagles.
There is no word yet on where Slay could end up next.
