Dec 1, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A Minnesota Vikings fan reacts late during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
If you’re late to the Minnesota Vikings party this season, out-of-nowhere contributor Jalen Redmond has totally shined.
The upstart defensive tackle has been a revelation this season, especially during the last month — so much so that his potential absence this Sunday for the Vikings’ tilt at the Seattle Seahawks seems quasi-devastating.
Of course, Minnesota will adeptly employ the “next man up” mantra and perhaps have no problems, but Redmond has played at an elite level when afforded defensive snaps this season.
Sadly, on the very last play of Minnesota’s win over the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football — yes, garbage time — Redmond suffered a concussion, casting his availability for Week 16 into doubt.
Redmond did not practice on Wednesday, an ominous signal that he won’t play this Sunday.
Without Redmond, the Vikings would lean heavier into playing time for existing starters like Harrison Phillips, Jerry Tillery, and Jonathan Bullard. Rookie DT Levi Drake Rodriguez is also hungry for action.
Redmond has turned heads over the last several games. Good things happen when he’s on the field. Fans should perceive him as a legitimately dependable defensive lineman, not some guy who occasionally gets lucky.
Pro Football Focus has also commended Redmond’s performance, assigning the lineman an 86.9 grade through 15 weeks. In fact, if Redmond qualified for PFF’s snap count requirement, he would rank as the NFL’s foruth-best interior defender, if that can be believed.
Vikings general mangaer Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed Redmond in June, an intriguing transaction because the defender thrived in the UFL. He played 4 games in 2024 with the UFL’s Arlington Renegades, tabulating 4.5 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and 18 total tackles. That statline was evidently enough to turn heads in the Vikings’ front office, and Redmond parlayed the trial into a roster spot.
Redmond joined the Carolina Panthers’ roster as an undrafted free agent 20 months ago — right around the time Ivan Pace Jr. signed with the Vikings — where he stayed for four months. Carolina said goodbye in August 2023, and Redmond eventually tried the UFL on for size. The experiment worked.
He’s gradually interwoven into the fabric of the Vikings’ defense and makes some kind of a splash play weekly. While his concussion shouldn’t devolve into a long-term problem, Redmond will be missed if he can’t play at Seattle.
Minnesota is favored to take down the Seahawks by three or four points.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.