From undrafted to “unwavering confidence,” Jalen Coker continues to build

“I think at the end of the day in this league, you have to prove it on Sundays,” Thielen said. “And so when he was able to start proving it on Sundays and showing up in situations and making plays, big plays and big games, that’s when you’re like, all right, like this is, this is not just a fluke. This is the real deal.

“I’ve seen a lot of guys over the years do it in practice and look really good and looks like they got a ton of potential, but they don’t show up on game day. So, he’s not one of those guys, and that’s when you say, OK, this guy’s going to have a long career and play at a high level for a long time.”

Of course, he’s still a rookie, still an undrafted one at that, so he also knows nothing is promised.

After listening to Thielen for months and watching him work, he’s seen the map to the long career he’s hoping for. Coker knows there’s more work to be done. The goal is to maintain this level, without those nagging muscle strains, without the time off the field. Thielen’s shared all those lessons, and Coker’s listening.

So he knows this offseason needs to be different, more focused on all the things that allowed Thielen to last this long.