Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (43) returns an interception for a touchdown during the second half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.
In addition to Jordan Addison’s injury status, Minnesota Vikings fans apparently have to cross fingers and monitor Andrew Van Ginkel’s situation.
The new Viking showed up on Wednesday’s injury report out of nowhere and did not participate in Eagan.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell dispelled any fears over a major Van Ginkel injury, but his foot is evidently the culprit, and that was the injury he nursed earlier in the summer. Van Ginkel encountered a Lisfranc injury during the end of his Miami Dolphins tenure and recovered in the spring and summer. A month ago, O’Connell also said rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s knee “should be fine,” and he was tossed on injured reserve soon after.
“Van Ginkel, we just kind of held him out there late, just a precautionary thing, but he should be fine,” O’Connell said Wednesday afternoon, four days before the Vikings host the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The new Viking stabbed a Daniel Jones pass out of midair and took it to the house last Sunday, the cake topper to Minnesota’s beatdown of the Giants on the road. Van Ginkel’s versatility shined through, pressuring Jones, dropping back into coverage, and, well, scoring touchdowns. He proved initially to be a wonderful free-agent addition by general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Yet, the only knock on the guy before signing on the Vikings’ dotted line was the Lisfranc recovery, so folks will watch his status intently on Thursday. If he practices, most anxiety can be wiped away. Limited or no practice, however, would thicken the plot.
Right after joining the Vikings in March, Adofo-Mensah called Van Ginkel a “Mr. Do Everything.” The young executive talked to KFAN’s Paul Allen and was almost giddy about Van Ginkel’s addition to the depth chart.
Adofo-Mensah assigned the nickname and elaborated, “I don’t think there’s a single thing on defense he can’t do.”
Van Ginkel experienced ample playing time in 2023 when nearly every EDGE rusher for the Dolphins was lost to injury. He had 6 sacks and 20 pressures, according to Stathead, along with a staggering 91.1 Pro Football Focus grade.
Adofo-Mensah also mentioned about Van Ginkel scouting report, “As a general manager, it gives you comfort when you can kind of pencil somebody into different spots. He can play edge. He can drop. I would say, if not the best dropper in the NFL, with his instincts, his ability to get out in space. But then he’s someone who has shown that he has a complement of moves that can stress tackles and is an incredibly versatile player, smart, just everything we want as a Viking. The hair doesn’t hurt, either.”
Van Ginkel banked a tremendous 90.6 PFF score in his Vikings debut.
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.