Another Longtime Vikings Defender Joins Mike Zimmer’s Cowboys
Mike Zimmer was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings for eight seasons (2014-2021), elevating the team to a respectable unit. His most impressive feat was his consistency. The Vikings never won fewer than seven games in a season with him on the sidelines. The heart and soul of those Vikings teams was, of course, his defense.
Another Longtime Vikings Defender Joins Mike Zimmer’s Cowboys
The defensive mastermind had been a highly-touted defensive coordinator for the Cowboys and the Bengals before someone gave him the chance to become a head coach relatively late in his career. The Vikings pulled the plug after a pair of seasons without playoff participation mixed with internal feuds all over the place. A change was necessary.
Minnesota hired Kevin O’Connell, and Zimmer took a two-year break. Earlier this year, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn became the head coach of the Washington Commanders, allowing Zimmer to return to Dallas almost 20 years after his first stint ended.
“Zim” has already assembled a trio of former Vikings defenders, signing Eric Kendricks and Nick Vigil in free agency and trading for Andrew Booth recently.
Another former Viking joins them in Dallas.
NFL reporter Josina Anderson tweeted on Wednesday: “Breaking: I’m told the Cowboys are signing DT Linval Joseph, per source.”
Joseph was a staple in Zimmer’s defense for six years, but his NFL journey started with the New York Giants, who selected him in the second round (46th overall) of the 2010 NFL draft. After four seasons, the Giants let their lineman leave in free agency, just in time to be Zimmer’s first major acquisition.
Joseph handled the nose tackle duties and was an elite run defender for years. While he never received the same praise as flashier stars like Everson Griffen, Xavier Rhodes, Harrison Smith, or Anthony Barr, he was certainly just as important and ultimately made a couple of Pro Bowl trips.
His ability to single-handedly wreck run plays was a significant reason the Vikings had a great defense. Zimmer’s job was much more uncomplicated just because Joseph was there to stop the run.
The Vikings lacked cap space and wanted to get younger in 2020. Joseph departed in the same free agency window as Griffen, Rhodes, and Trae Waynes. The defense regressed badly, but so did the aging players.
Since then, Joseph spent two years with the Los Angeles Chargers, part of the 2022 season with the Eagles, and joined the Bills late in 2023.
The Vikes haven’t found a lineman of his caliber since his departure. Michael Pierce was supposed to be that player, but he opted out of the 2020 COVID season because of asthma and was hurt for half of the 2021 campaign. Dalvin Tomlinson and Harrison Phillips are certainly decent players but not quite on Joseph’s prime level.
In his six years with the Vikings, Joseph appeared in 88 games, recording 350 tackles and 32 tackles for loss. He also managed to sack opposing QBs 15 times. His most memorable play was his touchdown after a fumble recovery. He rumbled 64 yards against the Eagles.
Joseph hopes to earn a roster spot in Dallas, but he hasn’t played a major role since 2021 (350 total snaps in the last two seasons). He will turn 36 in October.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt