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Jonathan Greenard, recently traded from the Vikings to the Eagles, praised his former teammate Dallas Turner, predicting he will excel in Greenard's absence. The Vikings traded Greenard along with a 7th-Round pick for a 3rd-Rounder in 2026 and a 2027 3rd-Rounder.
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Outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard no longer works for the Minnesota Vikings, traded to the Philadelphia Eagles last month, along with a 7th-Round draft pick, for a 3rd-Rounder in 2026 (safety Jakobe Thomas), and a 2027 3rd-Rounder. On his way out, Greenard was sure to spill the beans: his Vikings teammate, Dallas Turner, will cook as his replacement.
Minnesota needs Turnerās Year 3 leap to become real after trading Greenard.
Greenard spoke with Chris Long this week and didnāt hold back when speaking glowingly of Turner.
The 2026 campaign could indeed be Turnerās almighty breakout.

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner watches drills during minicamp at the Minnesota Vikings Training Facility. During the June 10, 2025, offseason session in Minneapolis, Turner continued preparing for an expanded defensive role after flashing pass-rushing upside late in his rookie campaign under defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
Jonathan Greenard was traded to the Eagles as part of a deal that included a 7th-Round draft pick in exchange for a 3rd-Rounder in 2026 and a 2027 3rd-Rounder.
Jonathan Greenard praised Dallas Turner, stating he believes Turner will excel as his replacement on the Vikings.
Greenard's trade puts pressure on Dallas Turner to make a significant leap in his performance to fill the gap left by Greenard.
The trade involved Jonathan Greenard and a 7th-Round pick going to the Eagles in exchange for a 3rd-Round pick in 2026 and a 2027 3rd-Round pick.
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Greenard on Turner
Greenard knows a little something about EDGE rushers, so when he pounded the table for Turner, folks listened.
He told Long, āThe next person up now is Dallas. Iām gonna say it now, Dallas Turner. When heās on and heās dialed in on the game plan, the kid is a bottle of explosion. The guy is literally a 4.4 guy (in the 40), and heās only just breaking the surface of how heās gonna be in this league.ā
āThatās who Iām taking care of next. Iām watching him real close, Iām still gonna be talking to him the same way, like āListen, XYZ has to happenā or this is not gonna happen. Just the little small things you gotta have when youāre dealing with a young guy like that, because they donāt know.ā
The Greenard trade to Philadelphia completely and utterly paved the way for Turner to emerge as the Vikingsā keynote pass rusher in 2026.
Greenard added, āAs much as they are mature when you talk to them, they talk a good game, they still donāt know what they donāt know yet. Heās gonna take this big, big step. You saw him kind of do it a little bit towards the (end of) last season.ā
āAnd now this point, shoot, I said āItās time now. This is your time, this is your team, you need to go ahead and make that happen.ā So Iāll be looking real close for him and I know itās gonna get done because that boy a dog, too.ā
Turnerās Career to Date
As a rookie in 2024, Turner saw limited playing time, participating in only 28% of Minnesotaās defensive snaps. Despite the small workload, he offered glimpses of his 1st-Round potential, recording 3 sacks, 5 quarterback hits, 3 tackles for loss, and an interception.
His second year, however, marked a dramatic change. Turnerās playing time surged to 66% of defensive snaps, benefiting particularly from Greenardās injury absence, and his production exploded. He became one of Minnesotaās most disruptive players, especially late in the season, recording 8 sacks, 15 quarterback hits, 11 tackles for loss, and 4 forced fumbles.

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner works in coverage space against the Tennessee Titans during first-half action at Nissan Stadium. On Nov. 17, 2024, Turner continued showcasing his speed and pursuit ability while helping Minnesota counter Tennesseeās physical offensive approach during a tightly contested road matchup in Nashville. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images.
By the final months of the season (November through January), Turner appeared completely comfortable within Brian Floresā defense, consistently delivering big plays that silenced early criticism.
He concluded his second season with a 65.5 Pro Football Focus grade, including a 70.2 as a pass rusher.
Always Stashed at OLB3
Ironically, the Greenard trade was āgoodā news for Turner. It gets him playing time. Until Greenard vamoosed, fans wondered when Turner might become a full-timer, as his aforementioned performance late in 2025 merited an extended trial.
Had Greenard stayed put ā a contract extension as many Vikings faithful wanted and expected ā Turner would be in the same spot, waiting until Greenard or Andrew Van Ginkel got injured to showcase his skills.
On the whole, it was a nice problem to have ā too many productive outside linebackers. Now, the Vikings arguably need an OLB3 with Greenard subtracted from the depth chart, perhaps a player like Jadeveon Clowney or Leonard Floyd.
The Expensive Trade to Get Him
The Vikings have ample time with Turner, who has three years remaining on his rookie deal. At just 23, he is currently the fourth-youngest non-rookie on Minnesotaās roster.
While this affords them some flexibility, it doesnāt diminish the significant investment made to acquire him. To secure Turner in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Vikings executed a substantial trade, surrendering two 2nd-Rounders, a 3rd-Rounder, a 4th-Rounder, a 5th-Rounder, and a 6th-Rounder.

Minnesota Vikings linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, and Dallas Turner speak during minicamp at the Minnesota Vikings Training Facility. During the June 10, 2025, offseason workout in Minneapolis, Minnesotaās edge-rushing trio continued building chemistry within Brian Floresā defense ahead of another season carrying major expectations for the Vikings pass rush. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
Such an investment naturally sets a high bar. While Turner isnāt expected to be an immediate superstar, the expectations are undeniably real and entirely justifiable. So, when fans anticipate significant contributions from him, their expectation is well-founded.
Thankfully for his sake, itās go-time for Turner. In fact, this may have been the Vikingsā plan along when drafting Turner ā keep Greenard until he demanded more money and roll with Turner when he left.