Vikings Reportedly Will Pay Danielle Hunter's Roster Bonus, Keeping Him in Minnesota
The Danielle Hunter situation has a new development, and if you're in the camp of wanting the Vikings to keep the 27-year-old pass rusher, you'll be pleased. After previous reports indicated the Vikings were attempting to trade Hunter, it now sounds like they'll pay his $18 million roster bonus and keep him in Minnesota.
"Vikings DE Danielle Hunter has an $18 million roster bonus due today and, barring an unforeseen change, Minnesota plans to pay it and tie the two-time Pro Bowl selection to its team for the remaining two years on his contract, per league source," tweeted ESPN insider Adam Schefter.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler says the Vikings did have trade discussions on Hunter. But it sounds like GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and company ultimately came to the decision to keep him around.
So the Vikings appear set to pay Hunter's roster bonus and have him under contract for two more years. But that doesn't necessarily mean he'll play this season with his current $25.8 million cap hit. The Vikings can still convert the roster bonus to signing bonus and spread it across multiple seasons (potentially adding void years as well) to lower Hunter's current cap number.
It's also worth noting that Hunter won't get the roster bonus if he doesn't report for training camp. It's unclear if he has any feelings of wanting to play elsewhere, but what is clear is that holding out isn't an option.
Restructuring Hunter's deal to lower his cap hit seems like the obvious move for the Vikings. Based on the overall body of decisions they've made this offseason, they're planning on competing in 2022, and creating a big chunk of cap space could help them address their defense and interior offensive line. If they don't plan on extending Hunter, they could franchise tag him after the 2023 season.
Hunter, who turns 28 in October, has missed most of the last two seasons with a herniated disc in his neck (2020) and a torn pectoral muscle (2021). But those are two freak injuries that don't indicate any significantly elevated risk of future injury. Hunter looked like himself early last season before getting hurt again, recording six sacks and 31 pressures in seven games.
Before these two injury-marred seasons, Hunter was on track to break records. In 2019, on his way to a second straight 14.5-sack season, he became the youngest player in NFL history to reach 50 career sacks. The 2015 third-round pick out of LSU will look to stay healthy and get back to dominating off the edge this fall.
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