Minnesota Vikings 3rd-year edge rusher Dallas Turner is approaching an interesting year in his career.
He was taken 17th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Vikings, the same draft they landed J.J. McCarthy. Earlier that offseason, Minnesota signed two big-time edge rushers who are still stealing time from Turner in 2026.
The Vikings signed Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard, who have proven to be one of the best edge rushing duos in the league. This has proven to be a thorn in Dallas Turner’s side, as he just can’t find starting minutes.
“Voice of the Vikings” Paul Allen touched on this himself, painting a grim picture for the former Alabama defender.
Paul Allen Questions Vikings on Role of Dallas Turner
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 04: Dallas Turner #15 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts after a tackle during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
As Adam Patrick of The Viking Age mentioned, Paul Allen spoke about Turner on The Paul Allen Show earlier this week. Patrick summarized the words for us.
“[The Vikings] want to play him, [but] Greenard’s better than him until proven otherwise. [Andrew] Van Ginkle is, probably, can argue the best of the three, but he and Greenard are 1 and 1A, whichever way you want to go.
I’m just not sure they know what to do with Dallas Turner.”
Patrick added some of his own insight on the matter.
“Thankfully, Turner is still only 23-years-old and he likely hasn’t hit the prime of his NFL career yet. However, one of the biggest benefits of selecting him in the first round is the ability to take advantage of how affordable of his rookie contract is, and the Vikings haven’t really been able to do that yet.”
Of course, a role for Turner could open up should the Vikings actually trade away Jonathan Greenard. However, it’s still not clear that Minnesota would commit to trading away a top-end edge rusher in a win-now season.
Minnesota Named One of the ‘Worst QB Situations’ in NFL in 2026
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – DECEMBER 07: Bobby Wagner #54 and Frankie Luvu #4 of the Washington Commanders tackle J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings during the second half at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 07, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)
Bleacher Report had the take that came out of a flamethrower. They made their case as to why it’s the 6th-worst in the NFL per their list.
“In practically every way you can measure a quarterback, J.J. McCarthy was the least qualified passer in the NFL during his sophomore campaign. Now they’ve added Kyler Murray, who missed significant action in three of his last four seasons in Arizona and has a 90.3 passer rating since 2022.”
These claims are technically factual. However, it ignores the high-ceiling that likely-starting Kyler Murray is providing you.
They did provide a bit of a lifeline to the team regarding their take.
“As with Atlanta, you’re looking at two highly drafted guys in their 20s working with strong weapons and a stellar offensive line. And if it’s a crapshoot, at least they get two rolls of the dice. They’re also both cheap.”
They finish by saying that it’s difficult to see either Murray or McCarthy as viable long-term starting options. McCarthy did show improvement at the end of last year, and Murray has played at an MVP-level at times in his career. Only time will tell.
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