MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell sat for a minute in his office space in the visitor's locker room after his team's sweat-it-out victory in Miami, reflecting on which performances by the defense he wanted to highlight in his postgame address to the players.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8-9)
New faces: HC Kevin O’Connell, DC Ed Donatell, OLB Za’Darius Smith, DT Harrison Phillips, LB Jordan Hicks, G Ed Ingram Jr., S Lewis Cine, CB Chandon Sullivan, CB Andrew Booth Jr., TE Johnny Mundt, G Jesse Davis, OL Chris Reed.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The switch in schemes by the Minnesota Vikings and their edge rushing potential has dominated the narrative around their defense this season.
With new addition Za'Darius Smith and healthy returner Danielle Hunter, the Vikings are well-stacked at the outside linebacker spots as long as the duo can stay out of injury trouble.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8-9)
CAMP SITE: Eagan, Minn.
LAST YEAR: The Vikings missed the playoffs for a second straight year, prompting the firing of head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Danielle Hunter became the youngest player in NFL history to reach 50 sacks, an athletic marvel for the Minnesota Vikings who was as durable as they come in this violent sport.
About 2 1/2 years later, with his gaudy sack total stalled out from consecutive injury-wrecked seasons, Hunter has found himself in sort of a reinvention mode.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Three years ago at the Pro Bowl, Danielle Hunter autographed a jersey and gave it to his NFC teammate, Za'Darius Smith, with an inscription that raised the possibility of a future reunion.
Former Green Bay outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith was in Minnesota on Monday for a free agent visit with the Vikings, who could use another proven pass rusher but are lacking salary cap space.
The Vikings announced the arrival of Smith, who was released by the Packers a week ago after a 2021 season that was ruined by a back injury.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings placed wide receiver/punt returner Dede Westbrook on the COVID-19 reserve list on Tuesday, another hit to their skill position depth on offense amid a spike in positive tests across the NFL.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings activated defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson from the COVID-19 reserve list on Thursday, a welcomed boost for their depleted defense.
Tomlinson was back at practice after sitting out the previous 10 days.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings placed defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson on the COVID-19 reserve list on Tuesday, further testing their depth on the defensive line.
Tomlinson has started all 10 games in his first season with the Vikings (5-5), after leaving the New York Giants to sign with them as a free agent.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer paused for a moment during his Wednesday press conference to pull a piece of paper out of his sweatshirt, looking down at the lectern to read from a list of cherry-picked statistics in suggesting the Vikings can recover and still contend this year.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter will miss the remainder of the season with a torn pectoral muscle, a devastating loss of the team's best pass rusher for the second straight year.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Danielle Hunter’s return from the neck surgery that kept him out all of last season should boost a Minnesota Vikings’ pass rush that slipped to 28th in the league in sacks last year.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Neck injuries are no joke for an NFL player, and Danielle Hunter's was serious enough to sideline him for the entire 2020 season.
Wincing while the Minnesota Vikings struggled badly without their two-time Pro Bowl defensive end, who became the youngest player in league history to reach 50 career sacks, Hunter developed a deeper appreciation for his place in the game — and for sports medicine.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have stretched their offseason renovation of the defense into the summer, making one more big splash by bringing back defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson.
Richardson signed a one-year, $3.6 million contract Tuesday with the team he played for in 2018, giving the Vikings a proven interior pass rusher at a position that became a particular vulnerability in 2020 amid an uncharacteristic collapse by a once-dominant unit.