Vikings GM Speaks Out On $23 Million ‘Reward’ To 11.5 Sack Linebacker

Minnesota Vikings fans were certainly happy when the team re-upped edge rusher, Andrew Van Ginkel, to a one year, $23 million extension that kept that keeps the former Dolphin with the team through the 2026 season.

Van Ginkel’s 11.5 sacks in 2024 ranked second on the team in behind only ex-Houston Texan, Jonathan Greenard, who edged him out with 12.

And now Vikings general manager, Kwesi Adofo Mensah, has commented on the topic, speaking to KFAN’s Paul Allen, via Pro Football Talk.

“In free agency, we actually tried to sign him to a three-year deal,” Adofo Mensah remarked to Allen on Wednesday, “There was another team that came in and offered a two-year deal that we had to compete with. You always want the longer-term deal as much as possible, knowing that if he plays well, this is the type of thing you’re gonna be able to do. We were excited to add a year and really, to reward him for the year he had so he would make more money this year.”

The Vikings GM is speaking of the team’s original deal with the outside linebacker, which came to 2 years, $20 million in the 2024 offseason.

And now with the extension, Minnesota brings some money forward for the Wisconsin grad, whilst safeguarding themselves on having to shelf out for the pass rusher in 2026. Particularly since Van Ginkel turns 30 years old in July; with teams often feeling reluctant to give long term deals to players after hitting that specific benchmark – especially those entering their seventh season in the NFL.

Vikings Make Key Decision At Edge Rusher

With the addition of Dallas Turner in the first round of last year’s draft, who features to play a more prominent role in the defense heading into his second year, AVG’s fate seemed to be up in the air.

However, after his breakout 2024 year, it became clear that Van Ginkel was not going anywhere, even with both Greenard and Turner in house.

Instead, the team let the team’s fourth edge rusher, Pat Jones II – who came third in sacks with 7 – walk in free agency, where he ultimately landed with the Carolina Panthers.

Minnesota Had One Clear Focus During This Past Offseason

The Vikings’ strategy over the past two months can really be summed up in one word, “trenches”. Minnesota made big moves to strengthen the interior of the defensive and offensive lines in early 2025 – both of which were weaknesses for the team over the past year.

Interior offensive linemen, Ryan Kelly and Will Fries joined from Indianapolis in free agency, alongside big name defensive linemen, Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, who came over from San Francisco and Washington in March.

And this was all capped off by the addition of guard, Donovan Jackson in the team’s first and only selection in the top 100, at #24 overall.

Van Ginkel’s extension and the team’s prior moves suggest that protecting the quarterback and getting to the opposition’s is the team’s foremost focus heading into 2025.