Vikings' top pass rusher to undergo shoulder surgery, miss rest of season

Vikings star pass rusher Jonathan Greenard, who aggravated a pre-existing shoulder injury on Sunday night in Dallas, will undergo surgery and be shut down for the remainder of this season, head coach Kevin O'Connell announced on Monday.

Greenard initially injured his shoulder against the Ravens in Week 10, missed the next two games, and then gutted it out while less than 100 percent over the past few weeks. But after leaving Sunday night's game in the second half, he'll now have surgery to get the ailment fixed and turn his focus toward the 2026 campaign.

"We think it's best to go ahead and get that thing fixed," O'Connell said. "So he'll have surgery, hopefully in the near future, and start that process of rehab."

Greenard joined the Vikings in March 2024 and had an incredible first season with Minnesota. He recorded 12 sacks, 18 total TFL, 80 pressures, and 4 forced fumbles last year, which earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl and an 11th-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Sacks were harder to come by for Greenard this season, as he finishes with just three of them. But he leads the team with 47 pressures, has been close to sacks on several occasions, and has 10 total tackles for loss. He's been one of the Vikings' best players and leaders all season long.

"I just want to say, as a captain and a leader on our team, he's had a huge impact," O'Connell said. "What he's meant to me and our team and what we were able to do as a football team, specifically over these last two weeks. JG and his leadership and his commitment to being a foundational player for us has been on full display. I'm just so proud of him, and I know he'll get that thing fixed up and be ready to rock and roll."

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Greenard ended his 2025 campaign on a high note with one of his best games of the year before getting hurt. He earned a 90.5 PFF grade, tied his season high with seven pressures (on just 24 pass-rush snaps), and picked up a couple half-sacks. He continued to play at a high level even while gutting it out with a banged-up shoulder.

"It's something where he was not going to be denied when he got his strength and got what he needed to be cleared to play," O'Connell said. "It was something he was playing through. He knew he would not be able to put this behind him until he got it fixed, whenever that was gonna be. It feels like the best time to do that now."

Greenard is under contract for two more years with the Vikings and should be good to go for the team's offseason program.

"It's a pretty standard shoulder injury that should allow him to have a pretty routine procedure and be back on his way to being 100 percent, ready to roll," O'Connell said.

In the meantime, second-year player Dallas Turner will once again step into a starting role opposite Andrew Van Ginkel over the final three games of this season. Turner, who is tied for the team lead with 5.5 sacks, will look to put together a strong finish to the year.

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