Vikings Lose Top Rookie for Week 3
A knee injury is the culprit. Thankfully, things aren’t too serious.
Vikings edge rusher Dallas Turner isn’t going to play in the upcoming game against the Houston Texans. He confirmed as much when chatting with KSTP’s Darren Wolfson. Per Turner, the goal is to ready to roll in time for a trip to Lambeau in Week 4.
Vikings Lose Dallas Turner for Week 3
Minnesota’s EDGE3 has been making an impact.
The former Alabama standout has picked up 54 defensive snaps, which amounts to 38% of the total. In that time, Turner has picked up 5 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 tackle for loss. So, some signs of upside even if there’s still plenty of untapped potential.
The most direct replacement for Danielle Hunter is Jonathan Greenard, someone who has been piling up pressures to stand alongside his single sack. For 2024, Greenard is the EDGE1 while Andrew Van Ginkel keeps being a menace as the EDGE2.
Long-term, though, the plan is for Turner to develop into a defensive cornerstone, someone who can be a difference-maker as a pass rusher for a decade (or more).
Thankfully, things don’t sound too serious with his injury. Listen in to what he had to say (and with a tip of the cap to Wolfson):
Apparently, there was a high school issue with the knee, so it’s good news that the injury is relatively minor. Turner is working and rehabbing, doing what he can to “support” his teammates while also looking forward to Week 4 in Green Bay.
Losing Turner creates a domino effect for the Vikings’ defense.
Patrick Jones II and Jihad Ward will pickup more work. Jones, in particular, has been turning heads since he is up to 4 sacks in just a pair of games. Keep in mind that his career high for sacks in a single season is 4, so he if he can snag just one more he’ll have a new personal record. Pushing the total somewhere around 8-10 sacks — especially if those sacks stand alongside some tidy run defense — would involve Mr. Jones getting a hearty payday in the 2025 offseason.
Ward, too, has been a strong player. He’s essentially functioning as a 3-4 defensive end even though he’s listed as an outside linebacker. Flores likes to kick the brainy and brawny Ward inside to 3T on passing downs to let the veteran do some damage. So far, the plan has been working.
If Minnesota decides that they want a bit more depth along the edge, then the practice squad offers Bo Richter and Andre Carter II as options. In all likelihood, Carter would get the nod since he was on the active roster last season and is working in his sophomore season. Richter, though, did make some nice plays in the preseason.
The Week 3 game is taking place on Sunday, September 22nd. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT. Pulling off the win would involve Minnesota climbing to an ultra impressive 3-0 record despite no shortage of injury turmoil.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.
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