Van Ginkel Cashes In on Big Year

Former Miami Dolphins linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel got a major raise after a first great season with the Minnesota Vikings

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is sacked by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (43) during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium last Sunday. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Andrew Van Ginkel proved one of the best free agent signings in the NFL in 2024, and now the former Miami Dolphins linebacker has been rewarded with a contract extension and nice raise.

Van Ginkel agreed to terms Tuesday on a one-year extension with the Minnesota Vikings for $23 million with more than $22 million of it guaranteed. This comes as Van Ginkel heads into the second year of the two-year, $20 million deal he signed last year.

In his first season with Minnesota, Van Ginkel earned second-team AP All-Pro honors after finishing with 11.5 sacks and two interceptions, both of which he returned for a touchdown. He finished seventh in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Van Ginkel's performance made his loss even more painful for the Dolphins, who dealt with a series of injuries at outside linebacker last year and certainly could have used him.

As we reported last September, Van Ginkel really wanted to stay in Miami, the only NFL home he'd known after arriving as a 2019 fifth-round pick, but the Dolphins simply made no effort to keep him.

As in, none.

Early in the process, the Dolphins made it clear to Van Ginkel's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, that they were going to let him leave as a free agent and that no offer would be forthcoming.

So Van Ginkel, who had rejoined the Dolphins as a UFA in 2023 on a one-year deal, eventually signed with Minnesota, getting a two-year deal worth $20 million, including $13 million guaranteed, with a cap number of $3.4 million for 2024 and $12.4 million for 2025, according to overthecap.com.

Van Ginkel wound up playing a big role in the Vikings returning to the playoffs and finishing with a 14-3 record that only got them a wild-card spot but was tied for third-best in the NFL behind the 15-2 marks posted by the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions.

WHERE THE DOLPHINS WENT AT VAN GINKEL'S SPOT

Letting Van Ginkel leave via free agency — at least without some effort to retain him — still seems more than a year later like an odd choice for the Dolphins, considering the 2023 injuries to their two starting outside linebackers, Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb.

The Dolphins wound up signing veteran Shaq Barrett to a one-year, $7 million, though his signing bonus was spread out with the addition of void years on the contract to lower his cap number. That didn't matter anyway because Barrett decided to retire shortly before the start of training camp — Barrett, who is on the Dolphins' Reserve/Retired list, still carries a $1.1 million dead cap charge.

Barrett's retirement enticed the Dolphins to bring back Emmanuel Ogbah, whom they had released in the offseason as a cap move, this time on a one-year, $3.2 million deal. Ogbah has now moved on from the Dolphins as well, signing a one-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars this week.

Between Barrett's signing and Ogbah's re-signing, the Dolphins further addressed the outside linebacker position in the draft by taking Chop Robinson in Round 1 and Mohamed Kamara in Round 5.

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