Jonathan Greenard Spills the Beans on Former Vikings Teammate

Outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard no longer works for the Minnesota Vikings, traded to the Philadelphia Eagles last month, along with a 7th-Round draft pick, for a 3rd-Rounder in 2026 (safety Jakobe Thomas), and a 2027 3rd-Rounder. On his way out, Greenard was sure to spill the beans: his Vikings teammate, Dallas Turner, will cook as his replacement.

Minnesota needs Turner’s Year 3 leap to become real after trading Greenard.

Greenard spoke with Chris Long this week and didn’t hold back when speaking glowingly of Turner.

Greenard’s Comments Add Fuel to Turner’s Breakout Case

The 2026 campaign could indeed be Turner’s almighty breakout.

Greenard on Turner

Greenard knows a little something about EDGE rushers, so when he pounded the table for Turner, folks listened.

He told Long, “The next person up now is Dallas. I’m gonna say it now, Dallas Turner. When he’s on and he’s dialed in on the game plan, the kid is a bottle of explosion. The guy is literally a 4.4 guy (in the 40), and he’s only just breaking the surface of how he’s gonna be in this league.”

“That’s who I’m taking care of next. I’m watching him real close, I’m still gonna be talking to him the same way, like ‘Listen, XYZ has to happen’ or this is not gonna happen. Just the little small things you gotta have when you’re dealing with a young guy like that, because they don’t know.”

The Greenard trade to Philadelphia completely and utterly paved the way for Turner to emerge as the Vikings’ keynote pass rusher in 2026.

Greenard added, “As much as they are mature when you talk to them, they talk a good game, they still don’t know what they don’t know yet. He’s gonna take this big, big step. You saw him kind of do it a little bit towards the (end of) last season.”

“And now this point, shoot, I said ‘It’s time now. This is your time, this is your team, you need to go ahead and make that happen.’ So I’ll be looking real close for him and I know it’s gonna get done because that boy a dog, too.”

Turner’s Career to Date

As a rookie in 2024, Turner saw limited playing time, participating in only 28% of Minnesota’s defensive snaps. Despite the small workload, he offered glimpses of his 1st-Round potential, recording 3 sacks, 5 quarterback hits, 3 tackles for loss, and an interception.

His second year, however, marked a dramatic change. Turner’s playing time surged to 66% of defensive snaps, benefiting particularly from Greenard’s injury absence, and his production exploded. He became one of Minnesota’s most disruptive players, especially late in the season, recording 8 sacks, 15 quarterback hits, 11 tackles for loss, and 4 forced fumbles.

By the final months of the season (November through January), Turner appeared completely comfortable within Brian Flores’ defense, consistently delivering big plays that silenced early criticism.

He concluded his second season with a 65.5 Pro Football Focus grade, including a 70.2 as a pass rusher.

Always Stashed at OLB3

Ironically, the Greenard trade was “good” news for Turner. It gets him playing time. Until Greenard vamoosed, fans wondered when Turner might become a full-timer, as his aforementioned performance late in 2025 merited an extended trial.

Had Greenard stayed put — a contract extension as many Vikings faithful wanted and expected — Turner would be in the same spot, waiting until Greenard or Andrew Van Ginkel got injured to showcase his skills.

On the whole, it was a nice problem to have — too many productive outside linebackers. Now, the Vikings arguably need an OLB3 with Greenard subtracted from the depth chart, perhaps a player like Jadeveon Clowney or Leonard Floyd.

The Expensive Trade to Get Him

The Vikings have ample time with Turner, who has three years remaining on his rookie deal. At just 23, he is currently the fourth-youngest non-rookie on Minnesota’s roster.

While this affords them some flexibility, it doesn’t diminish the significant investment made to acquire him. To secure Turner in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Vikings executed a substantial trade, surrendering two 2nd-Rounders, a 3rd-Rounder, a 4th-Rounder, a 5th-Rounder, and a 6th-Rounder.

Such an investment naturally sets a high bar. While Turner isn’t expected to be an immediate superstar, the expectations are undeniably real and entirely justifiable. So, when fans anticipate significant contributions from him, their expectation is well-founded.

Thankfully for his sake, it’s go-time for Turner. In fact, this may have been the Vikings’ plan along when drafting Turner — keep Greenard until he demanded more money and roll with Turner when he left.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker