Getty Danielle Hunter #99 of the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter led the team with 16.5 sacks this past season, the fourth-most in the league and a new career-high mark.
As he heads into free agency this offseason, Hunter is keeping things in perspective.
“Just letting everything play its course. I did my job. Everything’s in my agent’s hands and my team — and whomever it is that’s out there,” Hunter said, per NFL.com’s Grant Gordon on February 2. “My job, like I said, is to do my job. And I’m gonna make sure I stay in shape and whatever is best available for me, I’ll take that.”
He just completed a one-year, $17 million contract that came complete with language preventing the Vikings from using the franchise tag on the 29-year-old pass rusher. He is poised to be one of the most highly-coveted free agents on the market.
The four-time Pro Bowler originally entered the league as a third-round pick (No. 88 overall) in the 2015 draft.
He is sixth on the franchise’s all-time sack leaders list.
Spotrac projects Hunter’s market value at $20 million annually, which could be a problem for the somewhat cap-strapped Vikings. After previously saying he’d like to return on a long-term deal, Hunter is letting the situation play out.
“Staying in shape, doing my part, and then when the time comes, my agent or the Vikings, they’ll come to a decision,” Hunter said. “We’ll see what’s best when the time comes.”
Danielle Hunter Credits Vikings Support System
GettyDanielle Hunter #99 and D.J. Wonnum #98 of the Minnesota Vikings.
This past season marked back-to-back double-digit-sack campaigns for Hunter. It was his fourth time with double-digit sacks in the last five seasons and his fifth time in his nine-year career.
“Just doing my job,” Hunter said. “I take pride in doing what I do. It wasn’t just me alone, my teammates, defensive coordinator put me in the best position to make plays for my team. Like I said, wish I could do more, like making us going to the playoffs.”
But the Vikings finished 43 sacks as a team last season, the 10th fewest in the NFL in 2023.
“We had a lot of ups and downs, but we learned from them,” he said. “It was football, unfortunate things happen, but we dealt with that as a team together and we finished.”
The Vikings started the season 0-3, ratting off six wins in their next seven games. They even won five straight despite losing Kirk Cousins three games into the streak. But they finished the season going 1-6, missing the postseason for the fourth time in his eight healthy seasons.
Vikings Have Other Needs
GettyGeneral Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings are not only poised to lose Hunter but also Marcus Davenport and D.J. Wonnum, both of whom ended the season on injured reserve. They also face several key decisions that could have a domino effect on their other plans.
Cousins’ free agency looms over everything, with wide receiver Justin Jefferson’s contract situation lurking in the background.
Minnesota enters the offseason with $28.8 million in cap space, per Spotrac.
General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has spoken optimistically about both Counsins’ and Jefferson’s respective situations. But he has also acknowledged that a small step back is not out of the question, leaving the Vikings with multiple options for how to proceed this offseason.