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Andrew Van Ginkel impressed upon reuniting with Brian Flores, enjoying a productive season as a pass rusher to help the Vikings finish the season as a top-five defense. The team will reward the former Dolphins defender for his work.
The Vikings are giving Van Ginkel a one-year, $23M extension, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal comes nearly fully guaranteed, with $22.4M being locked in. Minnesota now has Van Ginkel signed through 2026. This will bring a significant bump for Van Ginkel, who was due a $10.78M 2025 base salary that featured $4M guaranteed.
Coming up earlier this offseason as an extension candidate, Van Ginkel has shown himself to be a viable starter on the edge — after previously working as a backup. Reinserted into Miami’s starting lineup as a pass rusher due to Jaelan Phillips‘ 2023 injury, Van Ginkel upped his free agency stock in the weeks that followed.
He signed a two-year, $20M Vikings deal in 2024. That contract was to void if no extension occurred before the start of the 2026 league year. The Vikings have checked off that piece of business Tuesday.
Van Ginkel, 29, built on his 2023 pass-rushing production by registering 11.5 sacks last season. The former Dolphins fifth-rounder, who arrived during Flores’ first offseason in charge, accumulated an impressive 18 tackles for loss and 19 QB hits last season. Van Ginkel had previously never posted 10 TFLs in a season, and the Vikings will bet on him continuing his midcareer breakout.
In addition to his sack production, Van Ginkel also intercepted two passes and returned both for touchdowns in his Vikings debut. He now has three pick-sixes in two years.
Minnesota acquired a second first-round pick in 2024. While most assumed it was to become key ammo in the franchise’s quest to select a quarterback, the Vikings — after seeing the Patriots decline their trade-up offer for Drake Maye — then traded up from that spot (via the Jaguars) to take edge rusher Dallas Turner at No. 17.
Despite the lofty investment, Turner played behind Van Ginkel and big-ticket free agent signee Jonathan Greenard. This extension certainly looks like that setup will continue in 2025.
This one-year bump resembles the Bengals’ 2023 move for Trey Hendrickson, though it comes after just one Van Ginkel season. Hendrickson signed a one-year, $21M extension in 2023, doing so after he had outplayed his previous deal during his first two Bengals seasons. Van Ginkel’s profile does not check in on Hendrickson’s level, minimizing the chance he and the Vikings will later be at odds. Instead, a former Day 3 draftee collected a key payment during an offseason in which the Vikings both moved on from Sam Darnold and saw Kirk Cousins‘ $28.5M dead money hit come off the books.
The Vikings have J.J. McCarthy signed through 2027, affording them opportunities to make payments previously unrealistic due to Cousins’ six-year tenure (and seven-year run on the payroll). They will bet on Van Ginkel, who has scheme familiarity but a thin record of consistent pass-rushing production.
Also seeing early-career time as an off-ball linebacker, Van Ginkel had previously topped out at six sacks in a season (2023). But he has settled as an edge presence.
The Vikings, who lost Patrick Jones in free agency, will continue to send a Greenard-Van Ginkel-Turner pass rush at opponents, with this contract ensuring all three are signed for at least two more seasons.
More must-reads:
- Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy: 'I know I'm ready to start'
- Could Vikings eventually give Kirk Cousins an escape from Falcons?
- The '2024-25 NFL interceptions leaders' quiz
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