Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) looks on during the second half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings squared off against the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon, and there were plenty of storylines for each team. For Minnesota, the result saw former Houston edge rusher Jonathan Greenard bring down C.J. Stroud in bunches. It was just the start of something special.
When the Minnesota Vikings opted against paying Danielle Hunter, it wasn’t because they believed he wasn’t a good player. In fact, the Vikings’ edge rusher was coming off a career-high total in the sack department. He also showed a level of health that his career had otherwise failed to produce. Therein lies the problem. As he ages, expecting that result to remain consistent was tough.
There are only so many edge rushers to go around, and the Vikings wound up with a new tandem. Jonathan Greenard is a guy who has dealt with injuries just like Hunter. He is also multiple years younger and coming off a great year of health himself. After posting a career-high 12.5 sacks in 15 games last season, Greenard can do even better with the Minnesota Vikings.
After recording just a single sack during his first two games with Minnesota, Greenard made his presence felt against his former Houston Texans teammates. Greenard got home three times and racked up a trio of takedowns against Stroud. It was quite the coming-out performance for Greenard and has him set up for a strong season.
The Vikings currently lead the NFL in sacks, and they have done it without Brian Flores having to dial up a substantial amount of pressure. Minnesota’s defense has swarmed the quarterback due to the secondary honing in on their assignments. Given time to work, Greenard should be expected to continue producing at a high level the rest of the way.
It’s more than conceivable that Greenard could surpass his 12.5 sacks from a season ago during his first year with the Vikings. Generating a higher number than Hunter left Minnesota with last year would be impressive, but that shouldn’t be considered out of the question.
Minnesota appears to have made a strong move on the free agent front in the form of Greenard. He can continue making it pay off for the team and himself the rest of the way. If Flores continues to get the best of him, there’s no reason to put a limit on how high he climbs.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.