Vikings Collapse Overshadowed a Breakout Performance
The Minnesota Vikings had a disastrous game on Thursday that raised some pretty important questions about this year and future years. It’s an aging roster with no cap space, and unless the franchise can turn it around, it lacks a clear trajectory moving forward. One guy who should be part of future plans is defensive tackle Jalen Redmond.
Vikings Collapse Overshadowed a Breakout Performance
Redmond is currently playing on a one-year deal worth a ridiculous $960,000, and he’s outplaying everyone else on the defensive line. Step aside, Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, your successor is here.
The Vikings thought it was a good idea to acquire not one but two older defensive tackles coming off injuries, and they signed pretty expensive deals. It was a fair bet, as the interior of the defensive line hadn’t been able to produce any pressure in recent years.
Redmond, however, is making those two ex-Pro Bowlers look like afterthoughts, as he’s continuously able to find a way into the backfield to disrupt opposing plays. In the horrendous game against the Chargers, Redmond tabulated nine QB pressures, eight of which even earned the label QB hurries.
How good is that? Well, Jonathan Greenard and Dallas Turner logged four QB pressures and two QB hurries each, and that’s not a bad number. The Chargers, who pressured Carson Wentz all night, had nobody with more than six QB pressures. Unfortunately, the coverage unit didn’t do its job to help Redmond get home.
But Redmond is not just a one-game wonder; he actually ranks second among the Vikings’ defenders over the season with 21 pressures and 17 hurries. In fact, both are top-ten numbers among all interior defenders. His pass-rush productivity even ranks him as the league’s best interior lineman with at least 100 pass-rush snaps.
From a counting stat perspective, Redmond has made 20 tackles, three sacks, and five tackles for loss in the seven games this season. His snap count keeps rising, and he played a season-high 86% of the snaps on Thursday.
It’s been flying under the radar a little, but he has snatched the job from Hargrave, who’s now just a third-down specialist and rotational player while Redmond is getting pretty much all the snaps he can handle.
After the game, Kevin O’Connell conducted an investigation of the plane crash, and he concluded (among many negative points) that one guy just keeps making plays: “I do think there’s been some bright spots, like a Jalen Redmond continuously showing up on the tape.”
After the season, the defender will be a restricted free agent. The Vikings could keep him on another cheap one-year deal, but that would hardly be fair to a player who’s playing like a star. Redmond has earned a long-term deal, and the club should give him one. In fact, it should be a priority, a reward for a guy who could and should be a foundational piece on the defense for years to come.
The Vikings found the former undrafted player starring in the UFL and signed him in the 2024 offseason. All other teams had a shot to add him in the draft, as an undrafted free agent, and once the Panthers allowed him to walk. Many roster decisions are currently rightfully criticized, but Minnesota deserves some praise for that move.
Redmond turned 26 in March, and after a strong 2024 season, he has taken another step for the Vikings. Not many players have reached expectations this season, but Redmond certainly has.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.