Vikings OLB Andrew Van Ginkel has been named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week, the NFL announced today.
In Minnesota’s 27-24 road victory over the Seattle Seahawks, Van Ginkel recorded five tackles, 2.0 sacks, three quarterback hits and two tackles for loss in the team’s eighth straight victory. His 2.0 sacks led the NFC in Week 16 and tied his career high, a mark he’s hit in four other games.
Van Ginkel, who wins Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his six-year career, joins two other 2024 free agent acquisitions, QB Sam Darnold and OLB Jonathan Greenard, as Vikings to win NFC Player of the Week honors this season.
After recording his 10th and 11th sacks in Week 16, Van Ginkel joined Jason Taylor in 2006 as the only two players to post 10+ sacks and two interception-return touchdowns in a season since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. Jason Taylor was a unanimous First Team All-Pro and selected Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year that season.
In his first season with the Vikings, Van Ginkel has set career highs in sacks (11.0), tackles for loss (17) and interceptions (two), both of which were returned for a touchdown, tied for the most interception-return touchdowns by a player league-wide in 2024 (Broncos LB Nik Bonitto and Bills CB Taron Johnson). Van Ginkel enters Week 17 three tackles and three quarterback hits shy of setting new career highs in each category.
The award gives them five defensive winners since the start of last season and marks the 14th NFC Player of the Week award under Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell in 49 games.
VIKINGS NAMED NFC PLAYER OF THE WEEK UNDER O’CONNELL
Special Teams Greg Joseph, K 2022, Week 4, vs. New Orleans (London)
Special Teams Ryan Wright, P 2022, Week 6, at Miami
Defense Za’Darius Smith, OLB 2022, Week 8, vs. Arizona
Offense Justin Jefferson, WR 2022, Week 10, at Buffalo
Special Teams Kene Nwangwu, KR 2022, Week 12, vs. New England
Offense Kirk Cousins, QB 2022, Week 15, vs. Indianapolis
Special Teams Greg Joseph, K 2022, Week 16, vs. New York Giants
Defense Jordan Hicks, LB 2023, Week 6, at Chicago
Defense Camryn Bynum, S 2023, Week 7, vs. San Francisco
Offense Joshua Dobbs, QB 2023, Week 9, at Atlanta
Defense Ivan Pace Jr., LB 2023, Week 14, at Las Vegas
Defense Jonathan Greenard, OLB 2024, Week 3, vs. Houston
Offense Sam Darnold, QB 2024, Week 14, vs. Atlanta
Defense Andrew Van Ginkel 2024, Week 16, at Seattle
(info and images courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)
