EAGAN, Minn. — "GINK!"
Vikings teammates shouted that time and time again last season after Andrew Van Ginkel made a play during his debut campaign with the Vikings.
More plays, more seasons and more "GINK!" is on the way in 2025 — and beyond thanks to a contract extension the outside linebacker signed with Minnesota on Tuesday.
The deal follows an absolute banner year for the Iowa native in which he started all 17 games for the first time and recorded career highs in tackles (79), tackles for loss (18), sacks (11.5) and interceptions (two). He returned both picks for highlight-reel touchdowns, nabbing the first in Week 1 at the New York Giants for a 10-yard touchdown and the second against the New York Jets in Week 5 at London.
The spectacular season resulted in his first selection to the Pro Bowl, where he joined fellow Vikings outside linebacker and 2024 addition Jonathan Greenard in suiting up for the NFC.
It didn't take long for Van Ginkel to show he was going to leave a mark on the season.
With the Giants inside Minnesota's 10-yard line and facing second-and-6 less than seven minutes into the season, Van Ginkel and Harrison Phillips stuffed Daniel Jones for a gain of 1.
On third down, Van Ginkel was credited with Minnesota's first sack of the season. It didn't result in a loss of yards but did force a Giants field goal to limit the damage after a Vikings turnover.
The Vikings rattled off 21 points following the change in momentum before allowing just one more field goal (a 50-yarder at that) before Van Ginkel put the game on ice with his remarkable interception.
View photos of Vikings OLB Andrew Van Ginkel during the 2024 season.
Van Ginkel recorded a sack in each of his first three games with Minnesota and wound up notching three games with 2.0 sacks (vs. Lions, at Titans, at Seahawks) last season.
The biggest splash play for the player initially drafted by the Dolphins in 2019 (when Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores was the head coach there) was the 63-yard interception return on a pass thrown by Aaron Rodgers.
It was the flashiest part of just the sixth three-interception game ever played by Rodgers in 270 career games (regular season and postseason).
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