Brutal News Arrives for Jettisoned Vikings Pass Rusher

Back in March, the Vikings opted to ship out edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. Many saw that development as brutal news.

Doing so meant welcoming a pair of 3rd-Round selections. Added together, those picks are reasonably valuable. Better yet, there was some cap space that got saved while then being able to avoid needing to hand out a meaty extension.

The problem, though, rested in losing an EDGE1. Already, some depth issues existed, so sending out a player who terrorizes QBs and shuts down the run certainly didn’t help. Part of Minnesota’s motivation for moving on likely rested in concern about injury, which has been a reoccurring problem in Greenard’s career.

Adam Schefter of ESPN has been on a heater with the news updates. Another arrived in the form of Greenard’s injury: “Eagles Pro Bowl LB Jonathan Greenard is being placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list due to a pectoral injury he recently suffered.”

Brutal News for Jonathan Greenard

Thankfully, the injury doesn’t appear to be super serious.

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Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team sent out an update: “#Eagles pass-rusher Jonathan Greenard, who was acquired in a trade this offseason and received a 4-year, $100M contract, recently suffered a pectoral injury while lifting and will begin training camp on the PUP list. The team believes the injury is not significant and he should be back sooner than later.”

As with wide receivers, teams get in trouble when there’s only a single threat at edge rusher.

Think back to that 2022 season. Justin Jefferson was a single-man demolition crew. Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn were closer to solid than sizzling. Teams therefore had the luxury of sending two (or more) coverage guys at Jefferson. Trading for T.J. Hockenson helped but the weapons deficit became very apparent in the Vikings’ one-and-done playoff effort.

Similarly, boasting just a single threat to take down the quarterback isn’t a good spot to be. That singular threat will face constant double teams in the form of tights ends, fullbacks, and even cracking receivers. Go watch how Danielle Hunter got treated during that 2023 season where he still piled up sacks.

The Vikings are proceeding with the hope that two pass rushing terrors remain. Andrew Van Ginkel is an elite athlete who hasn’t slowed with age. Look for him to pin his ears back more. He’s going to feast if Brian Flores lets him chase down quarterbacks.

There’s then Dallas Turner. To my eye, he’s reminiscent of Leonard Floyd as a long, explosive player who can bring down the passer. So far, he has yet to prove capable of mirroring Greenard, Hunter, and others who are well-rounded, complete edge defenders. Minnesota thinks that will change.

Jonathan Greenard arrived in the Twin Cities in the free agency period in March of 2024. His four-year agreement for $76 million quickly proved to be a bargain. Coach Flores leaned on the rugged, all-effort defender to bring juice in the pass rush; Greenard didn’t disappoint. Combined with his upbeat personality and outgoing leadership style, Greenard quickly became a favorite in Minnesota.

In 2025, Greenard took a step back on the stat sheet. Part of the problem rested in missing time due to injury. Another issue was found in getting his paws onto the passer but not getting him to the ground. He was like a goal scorer in hockey who kept hitting the post even though he was getting good looks to score.

If health allows, the edge rusher appears bound to bounce back with some huge numbers as an Eagle. Playing alongside those terrific d-tackles will help.

The 29-year-old defender stands at 6’3″ and 260 pounds. Many boast about having a great motor but few can mirror the effort that Jonathan Greenard offers. Philly snagged a good one.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.