Vikings Young Star Shines through the Sorrow
Almost nothing went right for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13 at the Seattle Seahawks, but that’s caveated with almost because outside linebacker Dallas Turner continued his climb to stardom.
A young Vikings standout delivers a standout performance even as the team navigates a week filled with sorrow and emotional weight.
Minnesota suffered its first shutout in nearly two decades at Lumen Field, the latest chapter in a miserable season. Nothing is miserable about Dallas Turner, though.
Vikings OLB Dallas Turner Continues Path to Stardom
It was mostly bad at Seattle but not entirely bad.
Turner Logs Another Fantastic Outing
Picking up where he left off in previous weeks, Turner logged 5 total tackles at Seattle, with 3 quarterback hits, 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a pass defended. That’s a major league stat line.
Pro Football Focus credited Turner with a blah 64.1 grade, but he featured a blisteringly good 85.4 pass-rushing mark against Sam Darnold and friends. Minnesota had so few bright spots that Turner stood off the page above all else. If the Vikings were in real contention — they are not — Turner’s continued breakout would be incredibly timely.
Instead, Minnesota has a 4-8 record and is on the brink of outright postseason elimination.
A Month Worth of Dominance
In the last four games, Turner has tabulated 4 sacks, 17 tackles, 8 quarterback hits, 5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Of course, if that translated to a full season — so like next year — that’s a pace of 17 sacks in a season, which would be Pro Bowl-worthy.
Turner could even have a fifth sack to his name in the last four games if not for a penalty on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Referees flagged Turner for roughing the passer in that Week 10 contest.
Building Block amid Upcoming Changes?
The month-long breakout is fantastic for Turner, and peeking into the Vikings’ future, they’ll take all the talent and building blocks that they can find.
The upcoming offseason could include significant changes, including terminations in the front office, and whoever is running the control board can look down at the depth chart and see Turner’s name at the OLB spot. There’s a reasonable chance that Minnesota cleans house this offseason, and Turner could be one of the last men standing to build around.
In that regard, Turner’s emergence is bittersweet. It is not helping much in 2025 because the club is virtually eliminated from the postseason. Yet, Minnesota won’t need a cornerstone EDGE rusher during free agency or the draft. That’s a big deal.
Five More Games to Bust Out
Turner has to keep the momentum rolling. “That one good month” can’t be the lone talking point fans cling to when the 2026 offseason arrives. He needs to stack development — this weekend, the one after it, and all the way through the end of 2025.
The final four games must read as his true NFL arrival, the opening chapter to a longer run. That’s the expectation for a 1st-Rounder and the reason Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spent a pile of draft capital to land the explosive edge rusher.
After some early hesitation, it now looks like Minnesota got the Turner pick right in 2024.
Zone Coverage’s Take on Turner
Tom Schreier at Zone Coverage wrote Monday, “Turner only has 5.5 sacks in his second season after the Vikings drafted him 17th overall out of Alabama. However, his peripheral stats indicate he’s making an impact.”
“His 20 solo tackles rank 19th in the league, and he has 18 hurries and 27 total pressures, meaning he’s getting into the backfield. The entire defense played well in Minnesota’s 48-10 Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, but Turner showed signs of breaking out then. He followed that up with strong efforts against the Cleveland Browns in London and against the Lions in Detroit.”
Most would have assumed that Turner’s blossom should be accompanied by a winning record or at least a relevant football team in December. No luck.
Schreier added, “However, he’s been at his best recently as Minnesota’s season has fallen apart. He has four of his 5.5 sacks in the past four weeks, and he’s graded out well per PFF. On Sunday, he had two strip sacks, one of which the Vikings recovered. As the season comes to a close, people will naturally focus on J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota’s other first-round pick from two years ago.”
“Still, while the Vikings haven’t drafted well under Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Turner could end up panning out at a vital position for any team. Dallas Turner is capable of making game-changing plays, even if the Vikings can’t capitalize on them this season.”
Turner will turn 23 in February.
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