Vikings agree to one-year, $20 million deal with Pro Bowl pass rusher Danielle Hunter
The Minnesota Vikings and star edge rusher Danielle Hunter have agreed to terms on a new deal, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
According to Pelissero, it’s a one-year deal worth $20 million. Hunter gets $17 million guaranteed and a no-franchise tag clause, meaning he will have a chance to cash in on a big payday next March.
The deal comes one day after Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported the Vikings were evaluating trade options for Hunter due to his “unhappiness with his contract.” Hunter, 28, did not want to play on his $4.9 million base salary this season, and thus missed OTAs and mandatory minicamp, and while present for the start of training camp, has not practiced. He is in the final season of a five-year, $70 million extension, however, his base salary is low this year due to a reworked deal two offseasons ago.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said Saturday he was hoping an agreement would come “sooner rather than later.”
“My hope is that we can work towards him being out on the practice field with us sooner rather than later,” O’Connell said. “He’s been great. Looking forward to taking it one day at a time. I’ve not tried to hide my feelings. Danielle Hunter is a very special player. As soon as we can get him out here, you’ll see him out and our fans will see him out here.”
Vikings retain star edge rusher Danielle Hunter after trade talks
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, meanwhile, gave his take on whether he thought Hunter would be part of the team this season.
“It’s great to see a great player like that,” he said Tuesday after Hunter reported for training camp. “Great Viking — really excited. So I just want to make sure I say that, and that’s where I’m at right now.”
Hunter is entering his eighth season in the NFL after being selected by the Vikings in the third-round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of LSU. In 102 games (73 starts), he has accumulated 71.0 sacks, 379 tackles (262 solo), 112 quarterback hits and seven forced fumbles. This past season, Hunter compiled 10.5 sacks en route to earning the third Pro Bowl appearance of his career. His 71.0 career sacks rank eighth all-time in Vikings history.