The Minnesota Vikings rewarded outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel with a contract extension after a career year in 2024, but that is not necessarily good news all around.
Van Ginkel produced 19 QB hits, 18 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks and 2 interceptions, both of which he returned for touchdowns, during his age-29 campaign. The NFL recognized his play by naming Van Ginkel to both the Pro Bowl and the league’s second-team All-Pro squad.
Minnesota lured Van Ginkel away from the Miami Dolphins, inking him to a two-year contract worth $20 million total in free agency last offseason. On Tuesday, April 29, the Vikings made another considerable financial commitment to Van Ginkel, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“A raise in Minnesota: Vikings reached agreement today on a one-year $23 million extension that includes $22.4 million guaranteed for LB Andrew Van Ginkel, per his agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus,” Schefter reported via his X account.
The move solidifies Minnesota’s edge rush, as fellow 2024 free-agent signing Jonathan Greenard — who tallied 22 QB hits, 18 tackles for loss and 12 sacks of his own last season — remains under contract for the next three years.
However, the extension of Van Ginkel will make it far more difficult for second-year pass rusher Dallas Turner to realize his full potential, as he will enter the 2025 campaign firmly in a second-string position and could remain in that job for multiple years to come.
Dallas Turner Bright Spot in Vikings’ Future, Assuming He Gets Shot to Shine
Turner, the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 draft out of the University of Alabama, came on slowly during his rookie campaign but ended up as a productive situational piece of Minnesota’s defense once the season was said and done.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke about Turner following the conclusion of the 2025 draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, over the weekend and dubbed the 22-year-old among the team’s rising stars.
“I hope people haven’t forgotten about Dallas Turner,” O’Connell told Rich Eisen of NFL Network on Saturday, April 26. “[He’s] really a guy that I’m expecting a huge jump from year one to year two. He really started to come on as the season went on last year. It’s a tough group, tough lineup to crack when you’ve got those top two guys playing the way that they were.”
Dallas Turner Contributed on Defense and Special Teams During Rookie Campaign
Turner’s sheer talent will make him difficult to forget if he plays a significant amount of snaps in 2025, though that is not guarantee considering the presence of both Greenard and Van Ginkel ahead of him on the depth chart.
Turner played a total of 300 defensive snaps during his rookie season, which represented 28% of the team’s total. He recorded 5 QB hits, 3 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, an interception and a pass breakup.
Minnesota found other ways to get Turner onto the field, primarily via special teams. The OLB logged 226 special teams snaps, seeing the field on 53% of such plays the Vikings ran in 2024.
