Vikings Hit with Devastating Injury News
The Minnesota Vikings are no longer in playoff contention, and to an extent, that’s a bit of a relief because Pro Bowl outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard injured his shoulder on Sunday and is now on deck for surgery that will end his 2025 campaign.
Greenard’s setback blows a chunk out of Minnesota’s front seven and forces Brian Flores to reshuffle everything, elevating Dallas Turner, Andrew Van Ginkel, and a deeper blitz package to keep the pass rush dangerous over the final four weeks.
Greenard posted a quiet volume-stat season by his usual lofty standards. He’ll have surgery, recover, and presumably be ready for Week 1 of 2026.
Vikings Best Defensive Player Hits the Shelf
A blow for the defense; a blow for Greenard.
The Worst Kind of News for Greenard
Sadly, that’s a wrap on Greenard’s 2025 campaign, his sixth in the NFL.
Vikings.com‘s Lindsey Young wrote Monday, “Jonathan Greenard’s 2025 season has come to an end. The outside linebacker has battled through a shoulder injury but will undergo surgery after reaggravating it at Dallas Sunday night, Vikings Head Coach O’Connell announced Monday.”
“The Vikings have won the past two contests to improve to 6-8 but were eliminated from postseason contention before Sunday’s kickoff. Minnesota has three games remaining this season. Greenard missed games against Chicago and at Green Bay. He returned to limited action at Seattle and against Washington before returning to the starting lineup at Dallas, where he helped Minnesota defeat the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.”
Where Greenard Ranked Statistically
Greenard has struggled to turn his bonanza of quarterback pressures into sacks this season, drawing heat for “almost sack” numbers, which don’t officially exist. Aside from the “almost sack” reputation, Greenard has actually played quite well this season, especially in September and October.
He missed one game this year and has played a lower snap count than usual accordingly. Here’s where he ranks among all EDGE defenders:
- QB Hurries: 14th
- Forced Fumbles: 20th
- Defensive Stops: 20th
- Solo Tackles: 27th
- QB Pressures: 30th
- QB Hits: 35th
- Sacks: 76th
Good, not great. Greenard has posted a Pro Football Focus grade just south of 70.
Dallas Turner Time
What’s next for the Vikings’ defense? Simple — more action for Dallas Turner, the 2024 1st-Round selection.
Turner has experienced a breakout in the last month and a half, and he will have a chance to continue that emergence with Greenard on injured reserve. In fact, although morbid to say out loud, it’s the perfect opportunity for Turner to strut his stuff.
This is why general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah traded the mid-round version of the farm for Turner: EDGE depth and upside.
The time is now for Turner to prove he can start beyond a shadow of a doubt in 2026 if needed.
Greenard’s Future
Greenard will likely be back in September 2026 and regain his starting job.
However, if Minnesota decides to roll with Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel, Greenard could be released before June 1st, 2026, with a $9.9 million dead cap hit, with $12.4 million in savings. After June 1st, the mark would shrink to $3.3 million in dead cap and $19 million in savings. The financial numbers for a trade are similar.
Generally speaking, offloading Greenard is unlikely, but those are the numbers if so.
Kevin O’Connell on Greenard
The team’s head coach said of Greenard’s impending IR trip, “It’s a pretty standard kind of shoulder injury that should allow him to have a pretty routine procedure and be back on his way to being 100% and ready to roll. It just feels like the best time to do that now.”
“As a captain and a leader on our team, he’s had a huge impact both on the field — and I thought he played one of his best games yesterday, before he reaggravated that shoulder. But what he’s meant to me and our team and what we’re able to do as a football team, specifically these last two weeks, J.G. and his leadership and his commitment to being a foundational player for us as a football team has been on full display.”
Greenard was a Pro Bowler one season ago.
O’Connell added, “He was not going to be denied, you know, when he got … what he needed to be cleared to play, he was back on the field. Even going a few weeks back to when he was getting minimal snaps.”
“And then building it up from there, it was something he was playing through — he knew he would not be able to put this behind him until he got fixed, whenever that was going to be.”
Greenard will turn 29 during the offseason.
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