Getty Andrew Van Ginkel #43 of the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel has proved to be one of the most impactful additions made in the offseason where he garnered interest elsewhere in the NFC.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported on November 18 that the Philadelphia Eagles had interest in Van Ginkel but he was “a touch too expensive.”
“I love the Andrew Van Ginkel signing by the Minnesota Vikings—he had another two sacks Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. And maybe this only interests me, but I heard last week prepping for the TNF game that Philly liked him and (former New Orleans Saints linebacker) Zack Baun in free agency,” Breer wrote. “Van Ginkel wound up being a touch too expensive. Baun’s been excellent for the Eagles, Van Ginkel’s reunion with Brian Flores is going great.”
The Vikings setting the market for Van Ginkel proved to be a worthwhile venture.
Signing a two-year, $20 million contract in March, Van Ginkel has outplayed his $3.4 million cap hit in 2024 tremendously. He leads the Vikings with 8.0 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and has two pick-6s.
After his Week 11 performance, Van Ginkel became the third player in NFL history to log at least 8.0 sacks and multiple pick-6s in a single season, joining Terrell Suggs in 2008 and Jason Taylor during his 2006 Defensive Player of the Year run.
Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard Prove Vikings Right to Move On From Danielle Hunter
GettyVikings edge rusher Johnathan Greenard sacks Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Through 10 games, Over The Cap has valued Van Ginkel’s play to be worth a $14 million-a-year contract (the site has not accounted for his past two games that should boost his valuation in the ballpark of $20 million a season) as part of a successful replacement plan from Danielle Hunter.
The other half of that plan: Jonathan Greenard — who signed a four-year, $76 million deal in the offseason — is currently third in pressures (51) this season and has 7.0 sacks on the year.
Their combined $9.1 million cap hit for the 2024 season is less than Hunter’s with the Houston Texans. Hunter signed a two-year, $48 million deal, with a 2024 cap hit of $13.1 million. Hunter has 6.0 sacks and 42 pressures this season.
Few players in the league are as physically gifted as Hunter. But Flores’ defense demands more versatility as he opted to find smaller outside linebackers who can also drop into coverage.
Last season, Flores got more out of the defensive talent he largely inherited as holdovers from the Zimmer era.
But this offseason’s shopping spree in free agency has shown how much more Flores can do with talent tailored to his scheme.
Few players embody that mold more than Van Ginkel.
He’s played the most coverage snaps (133) by any edge rusher this season, 51 snaps more than the second-largest total, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Vikings Address Dallas Turner Frustration
GettyDallas Turner #15 of the Minnesota Vikings.
Greenard and Van Ginkel’s shine this season has overshadowed Vikings first-round Dallas Turner.
Frustration has grown in the fan base about Turner’s lack of involvement on defense.
However, the Vikings are adamant that Turner will be an impact player for the team after they selected him 17th overall.
Flores likened Turner’s situation to potential Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer Cameron Heyward, who didn’t start a game for the first two seasons of his career due to playing in a deep
“I remember talking to Cam just a couple of years ago about his first couple of years… This guy’s a future Hall of Famer and he didn’t play very much his first two years in the league, he was sitting behind some really good players and made me think of Dallas, who was also in a room with a lot of good players,” Flores said, per Purple Insider.
Trevor Squire is a sports journalist covering the NFL and NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks. Trevor studied journalism at the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities, making stops at the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @trevordsquire. More about Trevor Squire
