Despite it coming two months after the move was executed, the Minnesota Vikings trading Jonathan Greenard continues to receive criticism.
Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) and Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew van Ginkel (43) celebrate after a play during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
It was a massive offseason for the Minnesota Vikings.
They didn’t make a ton of additions, but rather the subtractions that made the biggest noise. Of those, the most controversial was that of edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, as he was traded on day two of the NFL Draft to the Philadelphia Eagles.
It wasn’t the most popular decision either, especially with the lack of draft capital coming back. ESPN’s Seth Walder was very critical of the move in giving the Vikings’ offseason a B-.
“During the draft, the Vikings dealt Greenard, one of their best players, to the Eagles in exchange for two third-round picks. I don’t think it was worth it, especially in the current trade environment for high-end players. Despite only three sacks in 12 games last season, Greenard’s 23.2% pass rush win rate at edge would have ranked fourth at the position had he qualified.”
Jonathan Greenard trade continues to be criticized
Let’s not beat around the bush. Moving on from Greenard to open a path forward for Dallas Turner makes some sense. He proved how ready he was to be a starter last season when he showed domination at the end of the year when Greenard missed time with a shoulder injury.
Even with that information, the Vikings weren’t forced to trade Greenard. They could have easily made it work with him and Turner opposite of Andrew Van Ginkel, or potentially moved on from the latter instead. That wasn’t the path they chose, instead sending Greenard to the Eagles for No. 98 overall (S Jakobe Thomas) and a 2027 third-round pick.
Walder makes the argument that he went for too little in this market, which is valid. Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby were initially traded for way more than a first-round pick, and Greenard, while not on their level, is a fringe top-10 pass rusher. That should have netted the Vikings at least a first-round pick. The injury, plus wanting an extension, ended up preventing the Vikings from getting just that.
The continued criticism raises another question. Was the Greenard trade a reason why Rob Brzezinski didn’t get the general manager job? He was responsible for facilitating the Adam Thielen trade behind Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s back, and that didn’t go over well, especially after he requested his release.
New general manager Nolan Teasley has a lot of work to do with this roster, and not having Greenard will make it harder.
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