Vikings Roster Countdown: No. 99 Danielle Hunter — Extended or Traded?
Ahead of the Vikings' 2023 training camp beginning in late July, we'll be taking a look at every player on the 90-man roster, counting down from 99 to 0 (excluding the UDFAs, who we already profiled). For every player, we'll look at the best and worst-case scenarios and their realistic outlook for the upcoming season.
No. 99: Danielle Hunter, OLB
Heading into the 2023 season, Danielle Hunter ranks eighth in Vikings history with 71 career sacks. He needs nine sacks to pass former teammate Everson Griffen and 15 to pass Jared Allen. The context that makes that remarkable is that Hunter wasn't a starter for the first two years of his career, missed a combined 26 games to injury in 2020 and '21, and doesn't even turn 29 until October.
Last year, Hunter stayed healthy and played well, recording 10.5 sacks and 70 pressures despite making the adjustment to 3-4 outside linebacker for the first time in his career.
The big question right now is whether or not he'll even get to 72 sacks in a Vikings uniform. Hunter wasn't present at a single practice during the team's offseason program due to dissatisfaction with his contract, and it's been a month since news broke that teams were calling the Vikings to gauge his availability in a trade. There has been plenty of contract drama with Hunter over the years since he signed a five-year, $72 million extension back in 2018. With that contract set to expire after this season, the Vikings' options appear to be an extension or a trade.
Best-case scenario: Well, from the Vikings' perspective, there are a couple possible best-case scenarios. One is they extend Hunter and he dominates in Brian Flores' defense, racking up 15 sacks and earning second-team All-Pro honors for the first time since the 2018 season. The other is they trade him for a second-round pick and a Day 3 pick, which they use to either select a stud edge rusher next year or move up for their next franchise quarterback.
Worst-case scenario: This could also go two directions. If the Vikings extend Hunter, the worst-case scenario is he misses more time due to injury and thus isn't on the field enough to live up to his big contract. If they trade him, they run the risk of him starring for another team for the next five years while the Vikings struggle to replace an elite player at a premium position.
Outlook for 2023: Obviously, this all depends on what happens prior to training camp. It could get messy if there's no trade or extension by then, because players can't hold out under the current CBA without facing major fines. If Hunter does remain with the Vikings, he'll enter the season as their best defensive player. His combination of elite physical tools and a deep bag of pass rush moves makes him one of the premier edge rushers in the league when he's healthy.
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