Hunter's Contract Situation 2.0 - one-year deal worth $20M

As the Minnesota Vikings front office looks to further facilitate the vision they have for the team, they must decide if Danielle Hunter is an integral piece of the next core. Hunter has had ongoing contractual disagreements with the team, and while he’s a powerful edge rusher when healthy, he will be 29 by midseason. OverTheCap values him at $19.4 million, and the Vikings are only due to pay him $5 million in 2023.

Hunter racked up 12 sacks and finished fourth in total pressures at the edge position even though Ed Donatell probably misused him in his first full season since 2019. Therefore, his trade value may be at its peak after a dominant return from two seasons where injuries plagued him.





Hunter’s efficiency this year was a far cry from past years, despite lining up across from Za’Darius Smith, the best edge rusher the Vikings have paired him with in his career. He had an unusually quiet start to the season, only coming on when opponents silenced Za’Darius Smith over the last half of the season. Hunter played especially well in “clutch moments,” leading the league in third- and fourth-down stops.

The idea of Hunter experiencing a late-20s return to glory is not at all improbable, considering his talent. However, with the injury issues he’s experienced, it may not be beneficial for the Vikings to commit to a multi-year deal with him, and Hunter is likely seeking security with his next contract.

Hunter’s future is also intertwined with the team’s direction. If the Vikings are trying to remain competitive, trading Hunter or allowing him to leave in free agency is nearly unthinkable. When healthy, Hunter is a top-10 edge rusher and has the potential to challenge for a top-three spot nearly every year.

The move would be a very distinct commitment to a level of rebuilding most Vikings fans are unfamiliar with. Trading away a premier edge rusher who is still in his prime would essentially be waving the white flag for the upcoming season while positioning Minnesota to make a run at the quarterback of the future.

The assets the Vikings can get from dealing Hunter could be used to trade up for a premier quarterback in next year’s draft. With Minnesota looking to be too competitive to acquire a lottery pick, they could prove to be invaluable.

If another team offers Minnesota a first-round pick in any capacity, they should take that deal immediately. And with the Denver Broncos fetching a first- and fourth-round pick for Bradley Chubb while he’s performing at a substantially lower level, the Vikings should be able to find an offer like that.

If the Vikings retain Hunter, they will have to draw up an entirely new contract for him. They’ll have to find a middle ground that pleases Hunter’s camp and gives the team flexibility in the event that he gets injured again or doesn’t perform to his standard.

HAROLD LANDRY: 5Y/$87.5M
$35M gtd. at signing

BRADLEY CHUBB: 5Y/$110M
$33M gtd. at signing

Lewis: Let’s start with Danielle Hunter. The three-time Pro Bowler remains under contract with the team. However, he did not show up for voluntary organized team activities or mandatory minicamp. As has been reported, Hunter and his camp are seeking a long-term deal. The Vikings have not yet met him at that specific want.

How do you view this situation? Where do you stand on the idea of spending big for the soon-to-be 29-year-old whose production still stacks up with some of the best pass rushers in the NFL?

Krawczynski: So I will fully admit that whenever a situation like this arises, my knee-jerk reaction is to say, “Welp, this ain’t gonna work. Gotta trade him.” There are certainly plenty of times when contract disputes can be solved amicably and the team and player can move forward. I am certain there are many more that arise and are resolved before we even know it was a thing in the first place.

That said, this one has me leaning toward the knee-jerk response once again. It feels like there are more reasons for the two sides NOT to come together on a deal than there are for them to resolve it.

From Hunter’s perspective, even though he put up good numbers and played in every game last season, the shift from Mike Zimmer’s 4-3 to Ed Donatell’s 3-4 didn’t seem to suit him. If I’m Hunter and I’m looking to maximize what is left of my prime, I’m not sure that dropping into coverage and playing a rush linebacker spot is the way to do it. This is the team that drafted Hunter and paid him quite a bit of money. But it hardly resembles the team that featured him for so long. Much of the coaching staff is gone, the scheme is gone and many of his longtime teammates are gone as well. Will the draw to stick around pull as strongly given all the changes, especially to a scheme that doesn’t fit his strengths?

From the Vikings’ perspective, do they want to pay a ton of money to a 29-year-old with an injury history who is not the natural rush linebacker their system typically deploys? They may not be able to find one this summer if they move him, but you would have to think if he goes they will fill that spot with a different kind of player.

I’m a huge backer of Hunter, the player. I don’t blame him one bit for trying to squeeze as much money out of his career as he possibly can by turning up the heat on a contract he signed. Teams will do the same thing to a player when they no longer want him. It’s just harder for me to see a scenario where Hunter and the Vikings both get what they want in a new deal.

Hunter was very productive last season, no small feat given the injury-marred 2021 season and the move to a base 3-4 defense. Losing him would be incredibly detrimental to an already suspect Vikings defense.

But I think there was a reason you didn’t include him on your 53-man roster projection. This could be headed to Splitsville. Population: 99.

Lewis: Is Splitsville near St. Cloud?

But yes, you hit all the notes. Part of me is fascinated to see what Hunter could accomplish in Brian Flores’ defense. Would all the twists and stunts up front free up Hunter even further? Would that allow him to produce at his 2018 and 2019 levels? It’s enticing.

By the same token, I look at this realistically. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has not been willing to go multiple years on a new contract with any player. For him to make that type of move, I think the risk has to be overwhelmingly minimal. Health, age and scheme fit raise questions about the long-term outlook. That may be enough to prevent a deal from happening.

Krawczynski: If this doesn’t work out, what do you think the Vikings can get for him via trade? I’m conflicted. Part of me says, “Just 29 years old, insanely productive, especially in the old scheme.” A lot of teams should line up for him, right? But the fact that this is playing out in the summer, when rosters are pretty set, can’t be the greatest timing. Seems like the best time to move him would’ve been before the draft.

Lewis: You’re spot on that Hunter, who has been one of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL over the last five years, would generate significant trade interest.

Some scoffed at the Vikings’ returns for Za’Darius Smith and Dalvin Cook. The reality is, teams were not lining up to take on aging players who have navigated injuries yet cost a fair amount. Hunter is different from those two in that he is a bona fide NFL pass rusher who is young and effective enough to warrant another hefty contract. Dudes like him return considerable draft capital even if they want new deals.

Bradley Chubb is about a year and a half younger than Hunter, but the Dolphins gave up a first-rounder to acquire him. Khalil Mack is older than Hunter, and the Chargers gave up a second-round pick for him before the 2022 draft. Those types of packages are the ceiling — regardless of when the deal happens — but even a third-rounder feels light for a player of Hunter’s caliber.

Krawczynski: Speaking of Flores, I’m intrigued to watch this all play out. Vikings fans are casting him as Buddy Ryan reincarnated, maybe because Donatell was closer to My Buddy. I do expect to see a more aggressive defense, one that plays with more of an edge. Last year it seemed to be more of, “Just hold on for dear life.” That may lead to big improvements or big mistakes. I just wonder if any coordinator can lift a unit that seems to be in transition from old to new like this one is.

Lewis: Flores has used the term “aggressive, but with a purpose,” so I don’t want to paint his approach as a total onslaught without a strategy. But I think that’s the best way to describe the shift. It’s going to be fast-paced and blitz-heavy.

But, to your point, personnel questions abound. Will Brian Asamoah take a step forward? Is Mekhi Blackmon ready? I could go on …

Krawczynski: I will also be watching Eric Kendricks with the Chargers, Patrick Peterson with the Steelers, Dalvin Tomlinson in Cleveland and other Vikings defenders who left this offseason. How much of the defense’s struggles were Donatell’s fault? And how much were age-related declines? Vikings fans want to blame Donatell. We should know by midseason how much of that he deserves.