Dallas Turner Is Secretly the Biggest Winner of Kyle Van Noy Joining Vikings

The two-time Super Bowl Champion's arrival could set Turner up for success.

Dallas Turner could benefit the most from Kyle Van Noy joining the Purple and Gold earlier this week. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Wednesday, the Vikings addressed their pass-rush depth concerns by signing two-time Super Bowl Champion Kyle Van Noy to the practice squad. The 35-year-old veteran outside linebacker will provide experience and depth at one of the most important positions on defense.

Van Noy joining the Vikings is great for many reasons, including his familiarity with defensive coordinator Brian Flores. The two previously spent time together with the Patriots and the Dolphins, hopefully leading to the duo rekindling their magic in the NFC North.

Knowing what to expect from Flores and executing that plan will be huge for Minnesota, but another player will benefit greatly from Van Noy joining the Purple and Gold for the 2026 NFL season, and that's none other than fellow pass rusher Dallas Turner.

Why Kyle Van Noy's signing could be a massive win for Dallas Turner

This season, Turner is expected to go from a backup edge rusher and situational defender to a full-time starter on defense. That is a new role for the 23-year-old former first-round pick, and all eyes are on him to see if he can handle it.

Is Dallas Turner ready to take his game to the next level? The Vikings' pass rush, lacking depth, could use the help. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In his rookie year with Minnesota, Turner played 28% of the defensive snaps. He saw that number increase to 66% in 2025 while Jonathan Greenard struggled with a shoulder injury, leading to the idea that he could thrive with expanded responsibilities.

A full-time starter last season, fellow edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel played 77% of Minnesota's defensive snaps. If the Vikings run a similar number of plays on defense in 2026, that would mean an increase of approximately 150 snaps.

The good news is that the pressure is off Turner to play all those snaps at a high level. While he should still have a great season based on his 42 pressures from last season on 702 snaps, he will have Van Noy to rotate in and keep him fresh throughout the game.

Van Noy isn't getting any younger either. The former Lions second-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft will turn 36 in March and played 494 defensive snaps for the Ravens last season after playing 631 during his Pro Bowl season in 2024.

This is the perfect situation for a veteran edge rusher who wants to contribute while not having to endure a huge workload. Van Noy can rotate in for either Van Ginkel or Turner when needed and be a high-quality backup in case one of them is forced to miss some time this season.

There is no doubt that Turner is a player on the rise in this league. His eight sacks last year show he can get things done on the field, and he even played to a 73.7 Pro Football Focus pass rush grade when he recorded a sack in his lone preseason game vs. the Giants.

Dallas Turner gets the sack on 3rd down for the @Vikings

Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/15iD1SFBNK

— NFL (@NFL) August 15, 2026

At the same time, the Vikings also don't want to wear the young man out over an 18-week season.

A team can never have too many quality edge rushers. Now that the Vikings have bolstered their pass rush with Van Noy, Minnesota should be ready to wreak havoc on opposing offenses during the 2026 NFL season.

Get Vikings On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.