A year after he also missed seven games due to injury with the Carolina Panthers, Thielen may well just be at the end of the road from a physical standpoint. Still, as a low-risk rental, he might have appeal to a handful of teams on track for January football.

Adam Thielen was granted his release from the Vikings on Monday. He was claimed off waivers by the Steelers on Tuesday.

The Steelers walked into Sunday’s clash with Buffalo knowing the stakes, but few expected the game to unravel the way it did. A defensive scoop‑and‑score, a quarterback milestone, and a ground game that flipped the script all combined to turn a tight contest into a lopsided 26–7 defeat.