Ward logged 10 tackles (five solo), including 1.0 sacks, one pass defense and one fumble recovery across 17 regular-season games in 2024.
Ward signed a one-year, $1.79 million contract with the Vikings in March of 2024 after spending the previous two seasons with the Giants. The 2016 second-round pick out of Illinois played a mostly rotational role at defensive end, and his 10 combined tackles were his lowest output since the 2019 campaign (seven tackles across 14 regular-season games). Ward enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent and will look to catch on with a team in need of a veteran defensive end.
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Vikings' Kamu Grugier-Hill: Makes 17 appearances for Vikings
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Grugier-Hill made 18 tackles (11 solo), three passes defensed and two interceptions across 17 regular-season appearances with Minnesota in 2024.
Grugier-Hill contributed as a reserve linebacker throughout the entire 2024 campaign with the Vikings, though in the team's final four games (including a wild-card round playoff loss to the Rams), he was limited to work on special teams. The 30-year-old veteran will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
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Vikings' Jalen Redmond: Contributes across 13 games
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Redmond made 18 tackles (10 solo), including 1.0 sacks, across 13 regular-season appearances with the Vikings in 2024. He also had two passes defensed.
Redmond, who missed his rookie season due to injury back in 2023, made his first career NFL appearances with Minnesota in 2024. As a pending exclusive-rights free agent, Redmond won't be able to negotiate with other clubs if the Vikings offer him a one-year contract at the league minimum salary.
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Vikings' Dallas Turner: Plays depth role in rookie year
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Turner racked up 20 tackles (13 solo), including 3.0 sacks, across 16 regular-season games with the Vikings in 2024. He also had one pass defensed and one interception.
Turner, the No. 17 overall selection of the 2024 NFL Draft, wraps his rookie season with underwhelming production totals, having been stuck behind Pro Bowlers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard on the depth chart. Minnesota could part ways with at least one of Van Ginkel or Greenard after the 2025 campaign, as the team will have incentive to get Turner more involved on defense as soon as possible. This offense figures to be crucial for Turner's development.
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Vikings' Jerry Tillery: Suits up for all 17 games in 2024
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Tillery notched 28 tackles (13 solo), two pass breakups and one forced fumble across 17 regular-season appearances with the Vikings in 2024.
Tillery began the 2024 campaign hovering around the range of 50 percent of defensive snaps, but from Week 11 on, his rotational role involved closer to 30 percent of defensive snaps per game. The 28-year-old is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, so he may need to search for a chance to contribute with another club.
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Vikings' Pat Jones: Sets career high with 7.0 sacks
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Jones (knee) finished the 2024 season with 39 tackles (19 solo), including 7.0 sacks, and one forced fumble across 15 regular-season contests.
Jones battled a knee injury over the final month-plus of the season, missing Week 14 before returning for three contests and then missing Week 18 and the wild-card playoff loss to the Rams. It was a disappointing end to what was a breakout season for the 2020 third-round pick. After recording just 5.0 sacks across his first 42 career contests, Jones recorded all seven of his sacks this past season in the first 10 games of the year before the injury bug hit. Jones is now scheduled to be a free agent in March at 26 years old.
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Vikings' Shaquill Griffin: Plays in all 17 games for Minnesota
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Griffin finished the 2024 season with 41 tackles (33 solo) and six pass breakups, including two interceptions, across 17 regular-season contests.
After flopping as a free-agent signing in Jacksonville, the Vikings were Griffin's fourth team in the last three seasons after splitting the 2023 campaign with the Texans and Panthers. Griffin's 17 appearances marked his first full season since 2018 with Seattle. He turns 30 years old in July and is scheduled to again be a free agent. Perhaps the healthy 2024 as the Vikings' third cornerback will be able to land Griffin a chance to start on his next contract.
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Vikings' Jonathan Bullard: Starts all 17 games for first time
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Bullard finished the 2024 season with 41 tackles (21 solo), including 1.0 sacks, and three pass breakups across 17 regular-season contests.
The 31-year-old defensive tackle started all 17 games for the first time in his career and has developed into a quality defensive lineman in his three years with Minnesota after bouncing around the league with four different teams in his first six seasons. Bullard is scheduled to become a free agent again in March after playing one a one-year, $2.25 million deal in 2024.
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Vikings' Harrison Phillips: Starts all 17 games again in 2024
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Phillips finished the 2024 season with 56 tackles (16 solo), including 2.0 sacks, four pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery across 17 regular-season contests.
Phillips has started all 51 games since signing with the Vikings as a free agent prior to the 2022 season. After setting career highs in playing time (74 percent of the defensive snaps) and tackles (92) in 2023, Phillips' snap rate was dialed back to a more manageable 59 percent this past season. Phillips turns 29 years old Jan. 25 and has two years left on his contract after inking a two-year, $15 million extension back in September.
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Vikings' Stephon Gilmore: Starts 15 games for Minnesota
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Gilmore finished the 2024 season with 56 tackles (40 solo) and nine pass breakups, including one interception, across 15 regular-season contests.
Playing for his fifth team in the last five seasons, Gilmore started all 15 games in which he appeared and continued to hold his own as a 34-year-old outside cornerback opposite Byron Murphy in Minnesota. Like Murphy, Gilmore is again scheduled to be a free agent in March and will likely have to settle for a one-year deal if he's going to continue his playing career.
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Vikings' Jonathan Greenard: Piles up 12.0 sacks for Minnesota
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Greenard finished the 2024 season with 59 tackles (41 solo), including 18 total TFLs and 12.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and three pass breakups across 17 regular-season contests.
After Greenard broke out for 12.5 sacks with the Texans in 2023, the Vikings signed him to a four-year, $76 million deal as a free agent. Greenard answered with another outstanding season, setting new career highs in tackles, TFLs, forced fumbles and QB hits (22). He started all 17 games and was named to his first Pro Bowl. Greenard has finished in the top 10 in the NFL in sacks in back-to-back seasons and turns 28 years old in May.
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Vikings' Ivan Pace: Logs 72 tackles across 11 contests
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Pace finished the 2024 season with 72 tackles (36 solo), including 3.0 sacks, one pass breakup, including one interception, and one fumble recovery across 11 regular-season contests.
Pace missed Weeks 3 and 4 with an ankle injury and was sidelined again from Weeks 13 through 16 with a hamstring issue that landed Pace on injured reserve for four games. He played 79 percent of the defensive snaps in the wild-card playoff loss to the Rams and should be viewed as the favorite to start alongside Blake Cashman at linebacker in 2025 for Minnesota. Pace has one year remaining on his current contract.
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Vikings' Byron Murphy: Career-best six INTs in 2024
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Murphy finished the 2024 season with 81 tackles (62 solo), 14 pass breakups, including six interceptions, and one forced fumble across 17 regular-season contests.
Murphy didn't miss a single contest for the first time since his 2019 rookie campaign with Arizona. His 81 tackles, 14 pass breakups and six interceptions all marked new career highs for the 27-year-old cornerback, who was named to his first Pro Bowl team. After playing on a two-year, $17.5 million deal, Murphy is again scheduled to head to free agency in March. He'll look to capitalize on his big season and land a multi-year deal in what currently looks like a weak cornerback market.
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Vikings' Andrew Van Ginkel: Career-high 11.5 sacks in 2024
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Van Ginkel finished the 2024 season with 79 tackles (50 solo), including 11.5 sacks, six pass breakups, including two interceptions, and one forced fumble across 17 regular-season contests.
After playing for Vikings DC Brian Flores previously with the Dolphins, Van Ginkel signed a two-year, $20 million deal with Minnesota last offseason and answered with a career year. His 11.5 sacks tied T.J. Watt for eighth-most in the league and nearly doubled Van Ginkel's previous career best of 6.0 from 2023. Van Ginkel also returned both of his interceptions for touchdowns, leading the league in pick-sixes despite being an edge rusher. It all earned Van Ginkel his first Pro Bowl nomination and second-team All-Pro honors. Van Ginkel turns 30 years old in July and should again be a prominent playmaker off the edge for Minnesota next season.
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Vikings' Harrison Smith: Logs 87 tackles in 13th season
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Smith finished the 2024 season with 87 tackles (56 solo), including 1.0 sacks, 10 pass breakups, including three interceptions, and one fumble recovery across 16 regular-season contests.
The 29th overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, Smith has played all 13 seasons with the Vikings and has started 191 games for the franchise. He's now scheduled to be a free agent in March after logging at least 80 tackles for the 10th time in his career. Smith's 10 pass breakups also matched the third most of his distinguished career. Smith turns 36 years old in February, and Minnesota has a long list of free agents on the defensive side of the ball, including fellow starting safety Camryn Bynum, cornerback Byron Murphy and breakout edge rusher Pat Jones.
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Vikings' Camryn Bynum: Picks off three passes in 2024
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Bynum finished the 2024 season with 96 tackles (54 solo), 10 pass breakups, including three interceptions, and two fumble recoveries across 17 regular-season contests.
Bynum started all 17 games for the third straight season and set new career highs in pass breakups and interceptions while falling four tackles short of his second consecutive 100-tackle campaign. Known just as much for his well-choreographed celebrations following big plays, Bynum's strong numbers and week-to-week dependability on the back end of the defense should land him a big payday this spring, as he's set to become an unrestricted free agent.
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Vikings' Josh Metellus: Piles up 103 tackles in 2024
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Metellus finished the 2024 season with 103 tackles (63 solo), five pass breakups, including two interceptions, and one forced fumble across 17 regular-season contests.
Metellus appeared in all 17 games for the third straight season, but he started just 10 contests after starting all 17 the previous year. Metellus still played 87 percent of the defensive snaps as a near-full time performer. A sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Metellus has posted back-to-back 100-tackle campaigns and has one year left on a three-year, $8 million deal. With Camryn Bynum scheduled to be a free agent in March, Metellus could be in line for a starting gig in 2025 after splitting time between safety, slot corner and linebacker this past season.
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Vikings' Blake Cashman: Career year in 2024 with Minnesota
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Cashman finished the 2024 season with 112 tackles (68 solo), including 4.5 sacks, eight pass breakups and one fumble recovery across 14 regular-season contests.
After starting just eight games from 2019-22 with the Jets and Texans, Cashman started 13 games for the 2023 Texans and set a career high with 106 tackles. He then landed a three-year, $22.5 million deal in free agency from Minnesota and went on to set new career bests across the board, making 14 starts, despite missing three games with a toe injury. Cashman recorded double-digit tackles six times, including in the wild-card playoff loss to the Rams. Cashman should again be an every-down linebacker and tackles machine in 2025 under ultra-aggressive defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
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Vikings' Pat Jones: Won't play in wild-card matchup
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Jones (knee) has been ruled out for Monday's wild-card contest against the Rams, Craig Peters of the Vikings' official site reports.
Jones hurt his knee in Week 17 against Green Bay and didn't suit up for Minnesota's regular-season finale against Detroit. He didn't practice at all this week, so it doesn't appear he was close to being available for Monday's wild-card game. Dallas Turner may get more defensive snaps than usual with Jones sidelined.
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Vikings' Taki Taimani: Designated to return from IR
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The Vikings designated Taimani (ankle) to return from injured reserve Thursday.
Taimani was placed on injured reserve Nov. 1 due to an ankle injury. His 21-day practice window opened Thursday, and he opened the week as a full participant in practice. Barring any setbacks. Taimani could be activated off IR ahead of the Vikings' NFC wild-card game against the Rams on Monday.
