While making the Super Bowl radio row rounds, wide receiver Adam Thielen said he wants to stick with the Minnesota Vikings for the rest of his career but there are financial particulars that need to be sorted through first.

“It’s a little interesting,” Thielen said Thursday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “We’re working through some stuff because I’ve got a big cap hit … My contract fully guarantees on, I think, March 16.”

The Vikings previously restructured Thielen’s contract to gain some cap relief in 2022, but in return, that bloated his 2023 cap hit to $19.97 million.

The veteran receiver, a Minnesota native who began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent signing with the Vikings, is due to see his $11.8 million salary become fully guaranteed, which is why the team is more than likely working on another restructure.

“I want to retire a Viking,” Thielen said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “Will that happen? I don’t know. This is also a business. And I also want my opportunity to show that I can play at a high level.”

Thielen, 32, caught 70 passes for 716 yards and six touchdowns last season as a complementary possession receiver to star wideout Justin Jefferson. He is a two-time Pro Bowler who has seen 90 or more targets in six seasons and has career totals of 534 catches, 6,682 receiving yards and 55 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin appeared at the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday night, taking the Symphony Hall stage in Phoenix to a standing ovation before speaking to the crowd.

“Every day, I am amazed that my experiences could encourage others across the country, and even across the world,” said Hamlin, who is making significant progress after suffering cardiac arrest in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.

“My vision was about playing in the NFL, and being the best player I could be,” Hamlin continued, with the Bills medical staff who resuscitated him on the field standing behind him on stage. “But God’s plan was to have a purpose greater than any game in this world. My entire life I felt like God was using me to give others hope. And now with a new set of circumstances, I can only say he is doing what he’s always done.

“I have a long journey ahead, a journey full of unknowns and a journey full of milestones. But it’s a lot easier to face your fears when you know your purpose.”

Hamlin’s appearance came after NFLPA medical director Thom Mayer said Wednesday that he believes Hamlin will eventually return to the field.

“I don’t want to get into HIPAA issues, but I guarantee you that Damar Hamlin will play professional football again,” Mayer said on Sirius XM Doctor Radio show “Heart to Heart.”

Hamlin, who turns 25 next month, was awarded the NFLPA Alan Page Community Award on Wednesday for his work off the field. He was in good spirits during a recent Super Bowl Week appearance.

In the game against the Bengals, Hamlin attempted a routine tackle on receiver Tee Higgins and collapsed after trying to stand up. He received medical care on the field and was brought to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

As the NFL community rallied around him, Hamlin was later transferred to a medical center in Buffalo and was released Jan. 11. He made his first public appearance during the Bills’ AFC divisional round matchup against the Bengals.

Hamlin teamed with the American Heart Association to raise awareness for CPR training and education and expressed his gratitude for all the support on a social media post.

“What happened to me on Monday Night Football was a direct example of God using me as a vessel to share my passion and my love directly from my heart with the entire world,” Hamlin said in the message.

A sixth-round pick of the Bills in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Pitt, Hamlin became a full-time starter in 2022. In 29 career games, Hamlin has 93 tackles, 1 1/2 sacks, four passes defended and one forced fumble.

–Field Level Media

Brandon Graham has already strip-sacked the greatest quarterback of all time in a Super Bowl. What to do for an encore?

Call 27-year-old Patrick Mahomes the GOAT, too, and try to make it a double.

The veteran defensive end helped the Philadelphia Eagles lock up their first Super Bowl victory five years ago with a strip sack of Tom Brady late in the 41-33 win over the New England Patriots. This Sunday, against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, Graham and the NFL’s top defense is tasked with figuring out the next generation’s exemplar quarterback, Mahomes.

“Man, getting a strip sack on him too, that’d be nice,” Graham told reporters Thursday. “But we’re going to have some fun, man. He’s definitely the GOAT because he’s already won one and you can see he’s been here a lot of times already. And he’s young.”

Head coach Nick Sirianni wasn’t keen on spelling out how his team’s defense is strategizing for Mahomes, whether it will feature an increase in blitzing or focus on keeping the ball out of his hands.

It was pointed out to Sirianni at Thursday’s press conference that in Mahomes’ three career playoff losses, his Chiefs have lost the turnover battle twice and had less time of possession than their opponent in all three defeats.

Sirianni said when he was the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive coordinator and faced Mahomes’ Chiefs in 2019, it became “a little bit of a keep-away game.” That day, the Colts ran the ball 45 times, had possession for 37:15 and handed Kansas City its first loss of the young season, 19-13.

“So we have that in our pocket. We also think it’s important to score points. Obviously I won’t give too much of the game plan away of what we’re trying to do. But we also understand how dangerous Patrick Mahomes is and how good of a football player he is.

“Sometimes when you do play a keep-away battle, per se, you still gotta be good and efficient on third down. You still gotta be good and efficient to extend drives.”

Sirianni’s Eagles have been able to run the ball at will, led by dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts and a deep backfield that features Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott.

Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon put the keys to the matchup simply.

“Not have the ball thrown over our heads and take it away,” he told the Eagles’ team website.

Gannon touted his unit’s adaptability as a foil to the Chiefs’ creativity on offense.

“Every game you turn on, (Reid is) doing something new. We’ve got to be prepared for all of that,” Gannon said. “One of our staples is adaptability. We know that we’re going to have to adapt in game and we’ve got to be ready to make adjustments in game, in real time, and ultimately execute the plan and those adjustments to have a chance.”

But the ultimate strength of the Eagles’ defense is its pass rush, which finished with 70 sacks in the regular season, the third-highest total in NFL history.

“I don’t think you go into this game thinking you are going to get clear paths to the quarterback,” said Haason Reddick, who had 16 sacks in the regular season and 3.5 in the Eagles’ first two playoff games. “They’re going to have something built-in to account for what we do, so it comes down to winning one-on-one battles, or whatever it’s going to be, in this game. You also know that Mahomes isn’t a guy who is going to go down easily. He can buy time with his legs. He can move, even with that ankle (Mahomes suffered a high-ankle sprain against Jacksonville in the AFC Divisional round).

“It’s a challenge and, as you know, I love challenges.”

–Field Level Media

Quarterback Derek Carr concluded a second day meeting at the New Orleans Saints’ headquarters on Thursday, according to multiple reports.

Carr remains under contract with Las Vegas, but the Raiders benched Carr toward the end of the 2022 regular season and are widely expected to move on from the veteran by either trade or release.

Carr holds a full no-trade clause and said he will not extend the Feb. 15 deadline for when his scheduled $40.4 million in guaranteed money kicks in. If the Raiders do not find a trade partner, they’re expected to release him before the deadline.

New Orleans is the first team Carr has met with, and there’s a strong connection between Carr and Saints head coach Dennis Allen. Carr was a second-round draft pick in 2014 when Allen coached the then-Oakland Raiders. Allen made Carr the starting quarterback but was fired after an 0-4 start.

That was the start of a fruitful run for Carr with the Raiders. He made four Pro Bowls, most recently in 2022, and set major franchise passing records. But the team only made the playoffs twice in Carr’s nine-year stay and never won a playoff game.

The Saints are coming off a 7-10 season in their first year under Allen, who succeeded Sean Payton as coach. Aging veteran Andy Dalton spent most of the season as the starting quarterback after an injury-prone Jameis Winston was relegated to the backup.

Carr’s wife, Heather, was with him on the trip, according to Fox 8. The Saints’ contingent included Allen and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, according to NewOrleansFootball.com.

If the Saints don’t acquire Carr via trade, they could still sign him as a free agent. However, Carr would also then be free to sign with any team.

–Field Level Media

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank stopped short of saying Desmond Ridder will be the team’s starting quarterback next season, but does believe the team has an exciting young talent at the position.

Ridder took over the starting job in Week 15 and threw for 708 yards and a pair of touchdowns while leading the Falcons to a 2-2 finish.

“We’re very excited about Desmond Ridder,” Blank told reporters on Wednesday in his first public comments since the end of the season. “I think from the time he came into training camp, he showed great capabilities as a leader amongst the rookies and then amongst the vets.”

Ridder was drafted in the third round out of Cincinnati and spent most of the season behind veteran Marcus Mariota. After taking over the reins of the offense, Ridder did not throw an interception while completing 63.5 percent of his passes.

Blank pointed out the progress Ridder showed, culminating in a season-ending win over Tampa Bay in which he completed 19 of 30 passes for 224 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His passer rating improved in each of his four starts, concluding with a 108.2 mark against the Buccaneers.

Mariota is not expected to return and the only other quarterback currently on the roster is late-season signee Logan Woodside. The Falcons currently hold the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and while they will certainly add competition for Ridder at some point this offseason, Blank didn’t sound inclined to pursue a high-priced veteran option.

“As good as a quarterback may be, and they’re certainly a big part of a winning formula, they can’t play by themselves,” Blank said. “There’s 21 other (starters) that need to play as well so we’re committed to the position obviously and we know we need to think about it and I think we have it in Ridder.”

After swallowing $63 million in dead cap space last season after parting with Matt Ryan, the 23-year-old Ridder still has three years remaining on his rookie contract. Whether it’s Ridder or another incoming rookie at the helm, the ability to build around a rookie contract at quarterback is certainly appealing.

“When you have that opportunity, that’s the perfect set of circumstances,” Blank said. “The perfect storm, if you will, in a positive way, not a negative way. When you have a quarterback who you draft and have for four or five years, that’s a really big deal.”

“In the history of the Super Bowl, there hasn’t been one quarterback that represented 20 percent or more of the roster compensation.”

The Falcons are coming off their fifth consecutive losing season, and Blank admitted he’s looking for improvement heading into the third year with coach Arthur Smith. Along with Ridder, fourth-round running back Tyler Allgeier set the franchise rookie rushing record with 1,023 yards.

First-round wide receiver Drake London led the team with 72 catches — a franchise rookie record — for 866 yards, and the team received strong contributions from second-round linebackers Troy Andersen and Arnold Ebiketie and third-round linebacker DeAngelo Malone.

“We have a lot of young players that have developed at a very nice level and really have their best capabilities going forward, so I feel good about where we are,” Blank said. “And I think we have every reason as a fan and an owner to feel better about our team than we have in the last couple of years.”

–Field Level Media