Report: Vikings Receiving Trade Calls on Star Edge Rusher Danielle Hunter
The Vikings are receiving trade calls regarding star pass-rusher Danielle Hunter, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapaport, who says the "interest is real."
Hunter's contract situation is an ongoing one, as he's scheduled to make up to just $5.5 million this season due to money being moved around in previous years. The 2015 third-round pick has had plenty of contract drama since signing a five-year deal back in 2018, before he burst onto the scene as one of the game's elite edge rushers. The two sides have not yet been able to work out an extension, so Hunter hasn't been present at OTAs.
"Somewhat murky future for Danielle Hunter in Minnesota," Rapaport said. "Here's my understanding of where it stands: Sources say that teams have been calling the Minnesota Vikings regarding Danielle Hunter. He has, in fact, generated some trade interest. This is something we've heard rumors about for the last several months."
PFF Projects a Contract Extension For Vikings' Danielle Hunter
"You try to figure out why, and there are a couple reasons," Rapaport continued. "First of all, he is very, very good. Teams usually like really, really good players at premium positions like pass rusher. He's also due to make just $5.5 million this year because they moved money from this year up a couple years back to better properly compensate him. The Vikings and Hunter have not yet been able to strike a long-term deal to compensate him at a level he wants.
"And when there are rumors about a player not getting the contract he wants, usually there are teams that call. My understanding is the interest is pretty serious. Now the Vikings have tried to make this work, they've tried to do kind of a bandaid-type deal to compensate him for 2023 and then we'll see after this. A trade probably would've been a lot easier before the draft because then the Vikings would've been able to replace him. Much more difficult now, but these conversations are happening, and we will see where they end up."
It's not surprising that teams would call on Hunter, given his contract situation. If the Vikings can't work out a deal with the three-time Pro Bowler, maybe another team with more cap space could.
But it's a tricky situation. The Vikings already traded Za'Darius Smith to the Browns, so moving Hunter would deplete their pass rusher even further. They could replace him with a veteran free agent, but there's no one available that would come close to reaching Hunter's impact. He's still 28 years old and plays a premium position, so the Vikings should want to make an extension work, right?
At the same time, you can argue that trading Hunter is something the Vikings should consider. He's approaching 30, missed all of 2020 and half of 2021 due to injury, and may command a massive average salary on a new contract. The Vikings also have extensions for Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and Christian Darrisaw to worry about in the next couple years. Does Hunter fit Minnesota's timeline for contention?
We'll see what happens.
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