Vikings Face Big Decision on Danielle Hunter, Who Wants to Return

Will the Vikings pony up and pay Hunter elite pass rusher money this offseason?

Will Ragatz | Jan 9, 2024

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Minnesota Vikings

Danielle Hunter's 2023 season went about as well as he could've possibly hoped after he agreed to a reworked one-year deal last summer.

He played in all 17 games for the second consecutive season, continuing to put distance between him and his major injuries from 2020 and '21. And he thrived in Brian Flores' aggressive defense, finishing with career-highs in sacks (16.5, fifth-most in the NFL) and total tackles for loss (23, tied for league lead). His 80 pressures were also a top-ten mark in a year where he was named a Pro Bowl starter for the first time.

That's a pretty good season to have before Hunter's first trip to free agency at age 29 Even as he approaches 30, he's going to command elite edge rusher money this offseason — think $25 million per year (or more).

Will the Vikings be able to afford that? It might come down to whether or not they re-sign Kirk Cousins. Anything is possible, but it seems unlikely that GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would hand out big contracts to each of Justin Jefferson, Cousins, and Hunter this year, given all the other areas on the roster that need to be addressed.

If the Viking don't bring back Hunter, the cupboard will be quite bare at edge rusher, which is a premium position in the modern NFL. D.J. Wonnum is also a free agent. So is Marcus Davenport, last offseason's big signing who only played two full games this season due to injury. The team's only outside linebackers currently under contract next season are Pat Jones II and Andre Carter II.

Hunter said this week that he wants to be back in Minnesota, but as always, it'll be a negotiation.

"This is an organization that I love," he said on Monday. "We know how it goes with this business stuff, but I'd definitely like to be back."

"It's all I know," he said after Sunday's game. "Came into this league (here). I don't know any better. Ever since middle school, I've always been wearing purple."

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Published Jan 9, 2024

WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.