Finally Some Good News for Vikings OLB Andrew Van Ginkel
Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel is recovering from a neck injury — never fun — that he suffered in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, and somewhat surprisingly, the man practiced in a limited capacity to start Week 7.
Sooner or later, the Vikings will hope to have OLB Andrew Van Ginkel back in the mix, and the signs indicate that this will happen in the next few weeks.
Until very recently, fans didn’t know what to make of Van Ginkel’s injury, as neck ailments can linger and be more serious than most. But thanks to Wednesday’s practice participation, Van Ginkel should return to the gameday lineup in the next few weeks.
Andrew Van Ginkel Returns to Practice — but Limited
A breath of fresh air, the first step of Van Ginkel’s return is underway.
Off to the Side, Andrew Van Ginkel Takes Practice Reps
The tweet from the beat was short and sweet.
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis remarked on X, formerly known as Twitter, “Just left Vikings practice. Most notably, Andrew Van Ginkel (neck) was there.”
Fans have spent a few weeks wondering about Van Ginkel’s return — the man reached the Pro Bowl last year, so his presence has been missed — and Lewis’ tweet was the first tangible evidence that the pass rusher is on his way back.
The Defense Nears Full Strength
Van Ginkel — assuming no more defensive injuries come out of the woodwork against the Eagles — is the missing piece to an almost and suddenly healthy defense.
To start the season, safety Harrison Smith missed a couple of games with a mystery personal health matter. Jeff Okudah suffered a concussion in the first game. Blake Cashman has been gone for four games with a bad hamstring. And Van Ginkel has battled concussion and neck problems.
The offense still has a swath of injuries, but on defense, Brian Flores’ group is nearing full participation, at least for starters.
Van Ginkel is the missing link. When he’s back, Flores will have all his people.
A Strange Season for Van Ginkel to Date
In Week 1, Van Ginkel suffered a concussion and missed the lousy Week 2 loss at home against the Atlanta Falcons. After clearing concussion protocol, Van Ginkel returned for Week 3 — where he played just eight snaps. Pretty weird, right? Yes, because he racked up two sacks in those eight snaps while also injuring his neck.
That was over a month ago.
Van Ginkel has rehabilitated the neck since and should be good to go before the end of the month, barring any setbacks.
Here’s the short story for Van Ginkel:
a) A Week 1 concussion
b) Eight snaps upon returning in Week 3 with two sacks
c) A Neck injury in the same game
d) A month out of the lineup
Dallas Turner Developing in Van Ginkel’s Stead
Thankfully, a silver lining emerged.
Dallas Turner took over Van Ginkel’s snaps and has emerged as a trustable starter at just 22 years old. Pass rushers often take more time to develop than most, and Turner is no different, but he matures on the fly each week.
He’s nearing a 60+ Pro Football Focus grade and has banked 12 quarterback pressures and 10 hurries. The sacks numbers — just one — still lag, but those should show up in the box score soon enough.
Turner isn’t elite yet, but his progression is on a promising path. Fans should be stoked about Turner, rest assured.
PPTSD on Van Ginkel
Our Kyle Joudry wrote about Van Ginkel on Tuesday, “Unfortunately, O’Connell wasn’t super clear with his update about this star edge rusher. The head coach was upbeat and positive (as per usual) but couldn’t offer anything in terms of a firm timeline for Van Ginkel being available.”
“At this stage, seeing Van Ginkel on the field in Week 7 would hit as a surprise. Coming off a sizzling 2024, Van Ginkel earned a beefy one-year extension during the offseason. His initial contract was for two seasons sitting at a total of $20 million. He had a single year tacked onto the original contract, fully earning the $23 million that got attached.”
Expect Van Ginkel to have a “limited” designation in practice on Thursday and Friday. That’s the safest bet.
Joudry continued, “The defender’s 2025 has involved getting into just a pair of games. He has snagged 7 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 QB hit, and 2 passes defended. There’s a very persuasive case to be made that Van Ginkel is the Vikings’ second-best player (after Justin Jefferson).”
“As the week progresses, keep an eye on the status of Brian O’Neill alongside Andrew Van Ginkel. Best guess is that O’Neill has a decent chance while Van Ginkel isn’t looking likely.”
Minnesota’s full injury report will be posted on Friday afternoon. That document should heavily imply the team’s starting quarterback versus Philadelphia, which is trending toward QB2 Carson Wentz.
You must be logged in to post a comment.