BALTIMORE — Adam Thielen hasn’t been with the Pittsburgh Steelers for a week. However, he got up to speed enough to get the starting nod as his new team took on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Thielen jogged out alongside quarterback Aaron Rodgers, tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington and fellow receiver DK Metcalf.
The Steelers claimed Thielen, a 12-year NFL veteran, off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday. He’d returned to the Vikings, the team in which he spent the first nine campaigns of his pro career, before this season. Minnesota sits at 4-8, though, and Thielen wanted to finish the go-round with a contending crew.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this,” Thielen said on Friday. “It’s been a whirlwind, for sure. … I love football, so to learn a new system, it’s really challenging, especially in a short few days. It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s really fun, exciting and it kinda gets the love of the game back. I’m like, ‘Oh, man, I love competing and practicing and learning new concepts and learning how a quarterback thinks about things.’”
Thielen, 35, had eight receptions for 69 yards in his Vikings return. For his career, he’s posted 4.0 grabs and 48.4 receiving yards per game.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers WR Adam Thielen Accomplishes Impressive Feat vs. Ravens