The Minnesota Vikings and edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel have agreed to terms on a one-year extension worth $23 million, according to a league source. The deal includes $22.4 million fully guaranteed.
After spending his first five years with the Miami Dolphins, Van Ginkel joined the Vikings on a two-year, $20 million deal in 2024.
Van Ginkel thrived in Brian Flores’ defense, posting a career-high 11 1/2 sacks and 18 tackles for loss during the 2024 season. He tacked on an additional 19 quarterback hits, six pass deflections, two interceptions (both of which were returned for touchdowns, leading the league last season) and a forced fumble.
Van Ginkel finished the season a half-sack shy of Jonathan Greenard’s team lead, a co-lead with Greenard in tackles for loss and with the fourth-most interceptions of all Vikings players. His acquisition was part of the reason Minnesota’s defense ascended from the 11th-ranked defense by DVOA in 2023 to the second-best unit in 2024, finishing the year with the fourth-most sacks in the NFL. The career year also helped Van Ginkel secure his first Pro Bowl berth, second-team All-Pro honors and seventh place in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Why would the Vikings extend Van Ginkel right now?
The more apt question might be: Why not? Van Ginkel was a second-team All-Pro selection in 2024, and that honor doesn’t even really do it justice.
The edge rusher does everything. Van Ginkel lines up on the edge and can effectively rush the passer. He stops the run. When he misses a tackle, it’s either the equivalent of finding a four-leaf clover on the ground, or it’s a reflection of the ball carrier’s skillset. He also intercepted two passes last year from the line of scrimmage, reading the opposing formation and ad-libbing during the plan. One of those interceptions came in London against the New York Jets, and then-Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers tipped his cap at Van Ginkel’s savvy after the game.
Van Ginkel was only under contract through the 2025 season, and defensive coordinator Brian Flores sees Van Ginkel’s versatility as integral to his operation. Last year, injuries forced Van Ginkel to play off-ball linebacker, and he was even able to play that role admirably.
This deal sets Van Ginkel up as a core player for the Vikings’ future, and it might not be the only one coming down the pipe. Another Drew Rosenhaus client, safety Josh Metellus, has contract uncertainty after this season. He, too, is a pivotal piece to what Flores has built in the last couple of years. — Alec Lewis, Vikings beat writer
(Photo: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)