Can The Gink Save the Vikings Stink?
On Wednesday, the Minnesota Vikings were back on the field for practice after their mini bye. At this point, we know that Carson Wentz won’t play for the rest of the season, and J.J. McCarthy will start at quarterback in Week 9. Out of seemingly nowhere, Andrew Van Ginkel was on the practice field in a full capacity as well.
Andrew Van Ginkel got in a full practice for the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday, and that bodes well for a return on Sunday.
That shouldn’t be a massive shock, as he has gotten limited work in on the side fields over the past couple of weeks. That said, he’s dealing with a neck injury, and the injury updates have been ominous at best. It wasn’t long ago that a neck issue caused Danielle Hunter to undergo surgery that kept him out for an entire year.
Vikings OLB Andrew Van Ginkel Can Help Save the Day
Van Ginkel was given a contract extension prior to the season. He was coming off the best season of his career, and looking to pair with Jonathan Greenard for another year of sack mastery, the tandem looked locked in. Then Van Ginkel played just two games, missed time in between, and has started only a single contest.
He went sackless in his 2025 debut, but registered two in his second game. The Vikings’ pass rush has not only been horrendous, but rotational rusher Jalen Redmond leads the team with three sacks through the first seven games of the year. It was the front seven that was tasked with bailing out the back end of the defense. They haven’t done their job, and that means the secondary is now getting exposed.
If Van Ginkel can return healthy this week for Brian Flores and Kevin O’Connell, timing could not be better. The Detroit Lions have a prolific offense, and Jared Goff is having a great second act in his career. Van Ginkel’s return would generate additional pressure from the other side. It could help vault Greenard back into a higher level of importance and put less pressure on Redmond and second-year player Dallas Turner.
Minnesota has been gashed by the run all season. Most of that has happened up the middle despite adding both Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen. It’s easier to go after the interior if the exterior gets no push, though, and having the entire defensive front intact should be a significant boost.
We’ll see how Van Ginkel trends the rest of the week, but the first signs are encouraging.
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