Under the Radar Vikings Trenchman is “Happy but Not Satisfied”

Vikings trenchman Jalen Redmond has been working through a promising pair of weeks. A man of few words, Mr. Redmond did indicate that he’s hungry for more.

The defensive lineman chatted with the media on Thursday. How has he been understanding the praise getting sent in his direction? The player’s response: “I’m happy but I’m not satisfied, so I’ve still got a lot of work to do, I still got a lot of things I want to get accomplished, as a team and as an individual.” Folks, that is the exact response a team and its fans should desire out of a star player. Make no mistake: Redmond is becoming a star player.

Vikings Trenchman Jalen Redmond Still Hungry

The DT1 is an ultra impressive person. Getting to where he is now means that he has hustled and worked to overcome long odds.

Originally, Redmond got into the NFL as an undrafted player in 2023, trying to prove to the Carolina Panthers that he was worthy of a shot on the 53-man roster. He got set loose, allowed to get away from the NFC South team. What followed was a trip down to the spring football league before getting a summer tryout with the Vikings moving into the 2024 season.

Want to hear something really wild? The Minnesota Vikings cut Jalen Redmond back in the fall of 2024.

The defensive tackle got onto the final roster but was then waived in October of 2024. Every other NFL team could have claimed him for free. Instead, he slipped through and got added to Minnesota’s practice squad before then being re-signed to the Vikings’ roster in November of 2024. Even the Vikings didn’t know how special Redmond could become.

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Since then, Jalen Redmond has been terrific.

Last year, Redmond had a great season despite getting lost in the shuffle during the summer due to the adds of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. He asserted himself as the top option by piling up 62 tackles, 6 sacks, 8 quarterback hits, 12 tackles for loss, 5 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble.

Redmond’s 2026 season shows similar levels of promise. So far, he’s sitting atop 8 tackles alongside 1 pass defended and 1 forced fumble. Notably, that forced fumble kept points off the board since it came at the goal line. And then there has been the pressure he has been generating, making passers skittish in the process.

Due to beginning his career in such a modest manner (going undrafted), Redmond is playing on a remarkably modest deal. His cap charge is coming in under $1.1 million (Over the Cap). That’s the NFL’s version of being free.

Soon enough, Mr. Redmond is going to demand a massive raise. He deserves it.

The Vikings trenchman is going to be tasked with chasing down Baker Mayfield in Week 3. Look for #61 to keep collapsing the pocket, swatting down passes, and stuffing the runner. Do so enough times and Jalen Redmond will be instrumental in the Vikings climbing up to 3-0.

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