Vikings Take Care of a Major Offseason Item
Last offseason, the Vikings had to completely overhaul their pass rush. Star rusher and, to that point, career-Viking Danielle Hunter departed in free agency, and with him left D.J. Wonnum and Marcus Davenport, his two sidekicks. The front office quickly took action, signing free agents Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel.
Vikings Take Care of a Major Offseason Item
Fast forward about 13.5 months, and those two still hog the outside linebacker depth chart, and they are bargains.
The Vikings have now taken care of one of their own. Andrew Van Ginkel, a breakout defender from the 2024 campaign, has received a one-year contract extension with a lucrative raise.
On Tuesday afternoon, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported: “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.”
It’s a big deal, and it is well deserved. Unlike many other high-profile pass rushers at almost 30 years old, Van Ginkel has not yet cashed in big time. He was a Dolphins draft pick in 2019, and when his rookie deal was up, he signed a tiny one-year extension. His original two-year deal with the Vikings is worth a total of $20 million.
That’s a lot of money, sure, but in the NFL landscape of 2025, that is peanuts, especially for a guy who just went to the Pro Bowl and was named second-team All-Pro. Myles Garrett signed for an average of $40 million per season. Ex-Vike Hunter, Maxx Crosby, and Nick Bosa all make north of $34 million annually.
The $23 million would rank Van Ginkel tenth in the NFL among edge rushers. If we combine his two deals to $14.33 million per year, he ranks 22nd.
As previously noted, Van Ginkel was drafted by the Dolphins in 2019, and his current defensive coordinator, Brian Flores, called the shots in Miami at that point. Under him, he started one game as a rookie, 11 in year two, and 14 in year three. Then, Flores was fired, and Van Ginkel returned to backup duties, starting only five games in 2022. Due to the massive injury problems of his teammates, he started 11 in 2023.
Then, his old coach called and lured him to the Twin Cities, and he took off. In five years in Miami, he produced 17 sacks. In year one in Minnesota, he recorded 11.5 sacks alone, paired with 79 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and a pair of pick-sixes that put him on the map early in his purple stint.
Entering his final year under contract and being underpaid, Van Ginkel was actually a realistic holdout candidate this offseason.
PurplePTSD’s Kyle Joudry wrote earlier this offseason: “Truth be told, Andrew Van Ginkel couldn’t really be blamed if he ends up looking for a hearty raise. His entire career has involved making a touch under $17 million so far. The top edge rushers in the NFL make more than twice that amount in a single season. At 30 in July, Van Ginkel may not have too many more chances at landing a huge contract.”
The Vikings haven’t really encountered any holdout problems in recent years. Justin Jefferson just showed up, and the Vikings usually take care of their players and open the checkbooks when it’s deserved. Danielle Hunter had a minor hold-in, but that was also quickly resolved.
Flores is a happy man as he enters the upcoming season with one of the elite pass rushing duos in the NFL, and the Vikings pay them less than $30 million combined. Behind them, Dallas Turner is secretly learning in the shadows, and his snap count is expected to rise in his sophomore campaign.
Once again, the outside linebacker group should be among Minnesota’s strengths. Van Ginkel is signed through 2026.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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