Getty Head coach Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings will open mandatory minicamp later this week, but at least one prominent player won’t be in attendance.
Star edge rusher Danielle Hunter made known his plans to skip the two day session, held from June 13-14, as he holds out for a new, long-term contract. Hunter is entering the final season of a five-year, $72 million deal in 2023. While that averages out to just shy of $14.5 million per season, Hunter is scheduled to earn approximately $5.5 million this year in base salary and guaranteed bonuses.
“Minnesota Vikings pass-rusher Danielle Hunter is planning to hold out from the team’s mandatory minicamp this week as questions persist about his future with the team, a source confirmed Monday,” Kevin Seifert of ESPN reported June 12. “Skipping mandatory minicamp will subject him to mandatory fines of $16,459 for the first day and $32,920 for the second … and calls into question whether he will report to training camp when it begins in late July.”
Danielle Hunter Viable Vikings Trade Candidate This Summer
GettyEdge rusher Danielle Hunter of the Minnesota Vikings rushes the quarterback during a game against the Chicago Bears in January 2023.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is cleaning house this offseason and with Hunter’s holdout plans about to go into effect, the outside linebacker has become a legitimate candidate for departure.
Hunter is right on the edge of “old” by NFL standards, as he will turn 29 in late October. The pass rusher has been dominant over the last five years when healthy, earning three Pro-Bowl nods (2018, 2019, 2022) and tallying six sacks in just seven games played in 2021.
However, Hunter missed all of the 2020 campaign with a neck injury and more than half of the season two years ago with a torn pectoral. He amassed 10.5 sacks and 34 quarterback pressures last season, which is a standout campaign for the average NFL edge rusher, but closer to middling when judged by Pro-Bowl standards.
Adofo-Mensah has shown himself unafraid to part with players coming off of quality seasons by releasing four-time Pro-Bowl running back Dalvin Cook on June 9 in order to clear his $14.1 million salary cap number off the books and save the team $9 million against the 2023 salary cap.
Danielle Hunter Has More Leverage After Vikings Traded Za’Darius Smith to Browns This Offseason
GettyOutside linebacker Za’Darius Smith, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings, looks on prior to a game against the Dallas Cowboys in November 2022.
As a result of cutting Cook, the Vikings now have $17.8 million in salary cap space, which is plenty to piece together a new, multiyear deal for Hunter. In the end, the resolution to the new standoff between the franchise and its best edge rusher is going to come down to value determinations and leverage.
Minnesota traded Hunter’s pass-rushing counterpart Za’Darius Smith to the Cleveland Browns last month for a couple of fifth-round draft picks, shipping 10 sacks out the door. Moving on from Hunter would subtract another 10.5 sacks, equaling a total of 20.5 sacks lost ahead of the 2023 campaign. Minnesota tallied just 38 sacks as a team in 2022, with Smith and Hunter combining for roughly 54% of that categorical production.
Hunter’s value to the franchise at a premium position was already high and has only increased since the team parted ways with Smith. Still, Adofo-Mensah is clearly playing the long game and has more rope to do so after winning the NFC North Division and hosting a playoff game in his first year at the helm.
The Vikings have said they are not undertaking a rebuild, which feels something like a half-truth they might be able to sell with a competitive year in 2023 in one of the NFL’s least competitive divisions. Minnesota must consider the sizable contracts it is going to have to offer wide receiver Justin Jefferson and tight end T.J. Hockenson over the next 12 months, which are also going to play roles in how much money the team is willing to spend to keep Hunter happy.
If the decision ultimately falls to trading Hunter, the Vikings could use his value to try and get back a future franchise quarterback in exchange. One possibility is Trey Lance of the San Francisco 49ers, who could end up the odd man out in a quarterback room that also includes Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold.
