Dallas Turner expects to be a better player when he opens his second NFL season on Monday night than he was as a first-round rookie for the Minnesota Vikings.
“Just kind of know what to expect,” Turner said, “you know, having a lot more time to break down stuff and understand just the offensive game at this level and just seeing different offenses just being in that film on the iPad and stuff like that. Really just stacking days honestly. Just fixing all the stuff that needed to be fixed on last year and just being consistent, putting in the work every day.”
But will the former Alabama standout get more opportunities to show what he’s learned in 2025?
The Vikings return the players ahead of Turner on the depth chart at outside linebacker – Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. Both received Pro Bowl recognition in 2024 with Greenard recording 12 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, 22 quarterback hits and four forced fumbles and Van Ginkel recording 11.5 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, 19 quarterback hits and six pass breakups.
Last season, Van Ginkel played 922 defensive snaps, Greenard played 918 and Turner played 300.
The Vikings deployed three safeties most of the time in the 2024 season, with Camryn Bynum playing 1,032 defensive snaps, Harrison Smith 1,011 and Josh Metellus 991.
But Bynum left in the offseason for the Indianapolis Colts in free agency, so the Minnesota defense has a lot of snaps to replace in 2025. It could be as simple as plugging in safety Theo Jackson, who hasn’t made a start in three seasons with the Vikings. Or defensive coordinator Brian Flores has talked about playing more nickel with three cornerbacks on the field. And there’s also the option of deploying Turner instead of a box safety with Greenard and Van Ginkel.
Complicating the situation is Smith’s illness. The Vikings haven’t elaborate on the nature of the safety’s sickness, but the six-time Pro Bowler will not play in the season-opening game.
Minnesota will have to show its hand on Monday, when the Vikings kick off the 2025 campaign against the Chicago Bears in an NFC North rivalry game at 7:15 p.m. CDT at Soldier Field in Chicago. ABC and ESPN will televise the contest.
“It’s definitely a lot of good energy going into Week 1 coming off fall camp,” Turner said on Wednesday. “You know, grind mode, banging with the same guys and stuff like that. It’s time to go impose our will on another team. So Week 1, it’s a lot of energy going into that game, and we’re preparing the right way this week. You know, going in with positive thoughts.”
Turner recorded one of his three sacks as a rookie in the Vikings’ 30-12 victory over Chicago on Dec. 16.
The Monday night game will mark the head-coaching debut of Ben Johnson with the Bears. For the previous three seasons, Minnesota has played against Johnson twice annually as the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions.
“Ben Johnson’s a very good head coach,” Turner said. “An offensive-minded coach. We’ve seen him in Detroit. We’re familiar with his game, and game planning the right way, preparing what to expect on Monday and just collecting good days and stacking days in practice.”
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at@AMarkG1.
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