The Minnesota Vikings have not missed Jonathan Greenard even a little bit after trading one of the NFL’s most effective pass-rushers to the Philadelphia Eagles over draft weekend, and the superb play of third-year edge defender Dallas Turner is the single biggest reason why.
Turner faced questions heading into the 2026 campaign, his first as a regular starter following Minnesota’s decision to trade up for him in Round 1 back in 2024. But the 23-year-old outside linebacker out of Alabama has done more than just impress in Brian Flores’s defense through two weeks, he is making a case as arguably the best pass-rusher in the league early in the campaign.
“Through two weeks, Dallas Turner leads all players with 20 pressures and 10 quick pressures (under 2.5 seconds),” Sheil Kapadia of The Ringer wrote on X Monday. “He has 6 more pressures than any other player (Aidan Hutchinson is second with 14). Source: @NextGenStats.”
Vikings Pass-Rusher Dallas Turner Has Been Elite Through 2 Weeks
Turner has not needed to trumpet his early accomplishments to let the rest of the NFL know he has arrived — his play has achieved that for him.
He joined elite company after Week 2, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
“ESPN Research has Dallas Turner with 11 QB hits this season,” Seifert reported via social media. “That’s tied for the most of any NFL player in a 2-game span over the last 10 years. (Myles Garrett in 2025, Chris Jones in 2018.)”
Turner led the way for the Vikings in a Week 2 win over the Chicago Bears, holding Caleb Williams and company to three points in their home-opener at Soldier Field after they put up a league-leading 59 points on the road against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1.
“After the game-sealing sack, Turner raced up the field in celebration, with most of his teammates in tow,” Alec Lewis of The Athletic wrote following the game. “The Vikings understood the assignment, and they grasped the significance of the result. First and foremost, they snatched the division lead. On an even larger scale, Brian Flores’ Vikings defense added another chapter to its already notorious lore.”
Dallas Turner Had Classy Message for Bears QB Caleb Williams Following Injury
And as good of player as Turner is, he might actually be an even better person.
He spoke with reporters following the Vikings’ big win in Chicago and had words of support for Williams after the QB’s non-contact hamstring injury that might keep him sidelined for multiple weeks moving forward.
“I took a knee and I prayed for him,” Turner said during an interview with Stacey Dales of NFL Network. “I didn’t like to see a guy like that down.”
The weight on the shoulders of Turner, Flores and the rest of the Minnesota defense may not get much lighter as the season wears on.
Quarterback Kyler Murray is going to be back for the team’s Week 3 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Florida, though it is uncertain based on his small sample size of action in Week 1 before the concussion whether Murray can crack open Kevin O’Connell’s offense to impactful results.
Backup QB Carson Wentz was solid in Week 1 and good enough in Week 2, though the Vikings produced just nine points in the wet slog that was their contest against Chicago.
But when all was said and done, Minnesota came out 2-0 with their starting QB on his way back to the huddle. Circumstances could be a lot worse in Minneapolis all things considered, and Turner is one of the primary reasons they aren’t.
Vikings’ Dallas Turner Sends Clear Warning to NFL After 2 Dominant Weeks