Vikings Pass Rusher Has a Chance
The Minnesota Vikings don’t face mathematical elimination from the postseason this weekend, but they face emotional elimination. The team will need all the help it can get to defeat the hot Chicago Bears, and as of Thursday, November 12th, the team’s top player on defense, outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard, has a puncher’s chance to partake.
The injury report on Wednesday didn’t start wonderfully for one Vikings outside linebacker, but he has a slight chance to rally and play on Sunday.
Greenard injured his shoulder in last weekend’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. It’s now a waiting game on his Week 11 status.
Vikings OLB Jonathan Greenard Doesn’t Practice on Wednesday — But Not Ruled Out for Sunday
Greenard has three days to rally.
No Practice for Greenard to Start Week
Greenard logged a DNP (did not practice) on Wednesday, while Star Tribune‘s Emily Leiker tweeted, “Couple Wednesday updates from Kevin O’Connell: Carson Wentz underwent successful shoulder surgery in LA. He’ll be out there a few days and then back in Eagan. The Vikings will open Ryan Kelly’s 21-day practice window. Jonathan Greenard remains day-to-day.”
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis added O’Connell’s assessment of Greenard: “Said he still thinks Greenard will have a chance for Sunday vs. Bears, but deferring to medical.”
Greenard’s Week 11 situation suddenly feels like it could be a gametime decision when Sunday morning rolls around.
The Waiting Game
Now what for Greenard? Just what you might expect — a suspenseful waiting game.
The DNP certainly didn’t bode well for his Week 11 availability, but Greenard is an established veteran. He may not need full practices every day before gametime to tell his coaches that he’s good to go. For a good omen, Greenard will probably need a limited practice by Friday.
Facing Bears without Greenard Would Be Iffy
Although the Bears’ strength of victory is laughable — by the numbers, they’ve only beaten teams on track to finish 4-13 and 5-12 while losing to everyone else, including the Vikings — their momentum is palpable.
Chicago has won five of its last six games, convincing its fan base that Caleb Williams and Co. are the real deal. Minnesota, therefore, cannot take the Bears lightly, and having Greenard on the field would be a huge bonus.
Not for nothing, DVOA considers the Chicago the NFL’s eighth-worst team, so by efficiency metrics, Ben Johnson’s team is basically the 2022 Vikings.
Still, Greenard getting after Williams would help this weekend. He’s that disruptive.
Dallas Turner Scenes?
If one had to wager on Greenard’s playing status, Minnesota will likely play it cautiously and let him rest to be ready in time for Packer week in 10 days.
That would give 2024 1st-Rounder Dallas Turner another crack at the starting lineup, a man who played quite well last weekend during the loss to Baltimore, outside of a maddening roughing-the-passer sack on Lamar Jackson that drove fans nuts.
Turner logged a 71.0 Pro Football Focus grade last weekend, one of the best of his young career. He’s still just 22 years old.
PurplePTSD on Greenard
Our Janik Eckardt level set the state of Greenard on Monday, “Ultimately, Greenard could still miss Sunday’s Week 12 bout against the Chicago Bears. We’ll have to monitor the injury reports from Wednesday through Friday to get more clarity.”
“If Greenard is indeed out for a game or two, it would be the Dallas Turner show at right outside linebacker. The sophomore has been a backup for most of his time in the Twin Cities, but with Andrew Van Ginkel’s absence earlier in the season, Turner stepped into a versatile role that includes rushing and coverage duties. Greenard has a more straightforward job as an edge defender.”
Minnesota ranks seventh in defensive sack percentage through nine games.
Eckardt added, “His primary tasks are to set the edge in the running game and to get after the passer on passing plays. The Vikings have also experimented with defensive tackle Jalen Redmond and linebacker Eric Wilson lining up over the left tackle, and it has helped prevent the Lions and the Ravens from dominating with their excellent rushing attacks.”
“There’s no doubt about it, Greenard is as close to being an irreplaceable piece in Brian Flores’ defensive puzzle as it gets. Though he has just two sacks on his 2025 resume, he has been in the backfield the most among Vikings defenders. He’s just as disruptive as he was a year ago, but he hasn’t been as effective at finishing plays and turning pressures into sacks.”
Greenard hasn’t missed a football game due to injury in two years.
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