The Minnesota Vikings have questions regarding their pass rush. Behind Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel, there’s not much reliable depth, so any injuries or poor form could be a major issue for Minnesota.
Moreover, over the offseason, the Vikings traded Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles. As a result, the team hopes Turner can replicate his production from last season.
Last season, Turner played 702 total snaps, leading to a 65.5 overall defensive grade from PFF. Moreover, he produced 42 total pressures, including nine sacks, 27 hurries, and six quarterback hits. In run defense, he logged 35 solo tackles and added four forced fumbles over the course of the season.
Nonetheless, could Minnesota sign a veteran to help Turner get to the quarterback this upcoming 2026 NFL season? On the July 7 edition of “The Alec Lewis Show,” Vikings reporter for The Athletic, Alec Lewis, shared his thoughts on whether veteran edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney makes sense for Minnesota.
“I believe he played in 13 games and started six games,” Lewis said. “He may have signed late in the season with Dallas. For that to have been the case and for him to rank fourth in pressures was wowing… Now, I will say his average time to sack, because these numbers have to be put into a ton of context, was 4.78 seconds.
“That’s a long time. It’s one of the slowest average times to sack in the NFL. Last year, he was paid $3.45 million on a one-year deal. So if you’re asking me whether something like that is possible for the Vikings, I can’t fathom the idea that they would not be interested in making something like that happen.”
Would Jadeveon Clowney Want to Be a Backup?
Nonetheless, the major hurdle that could prevent the Vikings from being a serious suitor for Clowney will be whether the veteran wants to be a backup or wait to see if a starting job opens up due to injury.
“The question is, and I’ve said this on the podcast in recent weeks, and I think it’s important to reiterate, does Jadeveon Clowney want to be a backup behind Dallas Turner or split time?” Lewis added.
“Does Jadeveon Clowney believe he’s deserving of much more money considering the numbers I just laid out? Does Jadeveon Clowney wait to see if there is an injury so he can sign to be a starter? All of those questions must be answered by Jadeveon Clowney and his camp, and I’d say that would delay the potential of something like that happening.”
Last season with the Dallas Cowboys, Clowney played 372 total snaps, leading to a 79.2 overall PFF defensive grade. Moreover, he generated 40 total pressures, nine sacks, 29 hurries, two QB hits, and one forced fumble. Meanwhile, against the run, he recorded 26 solo tackles.
Should the Vikings Pursue a Different Veteran Edge Rusher?
Recently, CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo noted that one veteran pass rusher who makes sense for Minnesota is Haason Reddick.
“One of the league’s premier pass rushers from 2020-23 (he averaged nearly 13 sacks per season over that span), Reddick had just 3.5 combined sacks over the past two seasons,” DeArdo wrote in a July 2 article. “But while he had just 2.5 sacks in 2025, he amassed 34 pressures despite playing through several injuries.”
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Vikings Insider Gets Blunt on Potential Jadeveon Clowney Fit appeared first on HEAVY.