Fear about One New Viking Was a Nothingburger
Some thought it was a pathway to “another Marcus Davenport.”
Fear about One New Viking Was a Nothingburger
But the Minnesota Vikings said nope on Monday. New outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel will not hit the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to start training camp, a sure sign that the defender will be ready for the regular season.
Van Ginkel suffered a Lisfranc injury down the stretch of the 2023 season while playing for the Miami Dolphins, a team beset by a litany of pass-rusher injuries when it mattered the most. The buzz from June’s minicamp suggested Van Ginkel’s recovery could draw out into the summer, creating a paranoia that the aforementioned Davenport experience might be replicated. Last year, Minnesota signed Davenport as its keynote pass-rushing addition from free agency, and he played just 3.1 games. A high ankle sprain doomed his season, with fans wildly unimpressed by his brief stay in the Twin Cities.
Davenport now plays for the Detroit Lions.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday at the club’s training camp press conference that Van Ginkel would not need the PUP list, though tight end T.J. Hockenson, who is recovering from a torn ACL, will hit the shelf indefinitely.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert also tweeted about Van Ginkel, “The expectation of LB Andrew Van Ginkel (foot) is that he is close to being ready to participate fully in training camp, but O’Connell said the Vikings will see how it goes during the ramp-up period this week and into the weekend.”
Therefore, the conversation about Van Ginkel has morphed from “Will he hit go on the PUP list?” to “How soon can he participate in live drills?”
And that’s terrific news for a Vikings team seeking to replace Danielle Hunter’s otherworldly production. Hunter departed Minnesota in March, landing with his hometown Houston Texans. Accordingly, the Vikings signed veterans Johnathan Greenard, Jihad Ward, and Van Ginkel to fill the void. Six weeks later, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah landed Alabama’s Dallas Turner in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft.
This is Minnesota’s outside linebacker group as of July 23rd:
- Jonathan Greenard
- Dallas Turner
- Andrew Van Ginkel
- Patrick Jones II
- Jihad Ward
- Andre Carter II
- Gabriel Murphy
- Owen Porter
- Bo Richter
Vikings training camp will heat up Tuesday when all veterans report for duty. Rookies and 18 eager vets arrived on Monday. The Vikings are expected to win about seven games this season and finish in last place inside the NFC North, according to oddsmakers.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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