Insider: Vikings Set To Sign Young Pass-Rusher Over Danielle Hunter

Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter is enjoying a career renaissance, leading the NFL in sacks under the direction of defensive coordinator Brian Flores, but his future remains uncertain.

Hunter has 13.5 sacks in 12 games going into the Vikings’ Week 13 bye and is proving he is the superstar he was expected to be when he became the youngest player to reach 50 career sacks in NFL history in 2019.

But with the potential to become the 2023 sack leader, Hunter’s camp will push hard to make him among the highest-paid stars at his position in the offseason as an impending free agent. That puts the Vikings in a predicament of whether they’re willing to pay the 29-year-old a top contract.

Star Tribune reporter Ben Goessling isn’t sold they are and could see Minnesota going another direction: re-signing fourth-year edge rusher D.J. Wonnum.

“I don’t know if they will pay a player going into his age 30 season what Danielle Hunter will want to be paid. D.J. Wonnum could be a more affordable alternative,” Goessling said on a November 30 episode of the “Access Vikings” podcast. “Is he the top edge rusher on this team if you want to build a formidable pass rush? I don’t know about that. But he certainly has been better I think, if Brian Flores is back, he fits well. He’s younger he’s the type of player they would like to sign. If they think it’s affordable, I could see it.”

Vikings, Danielle Hunter Couldn’t Come to Terms on Long-Term Extension in Offseason

Let’s be clear, Wonnum is not the same caliber of player to replace Hunter.

Wonnum is second on the team with 6.0 sacks and has largely found himself into more playing time with the injuries that have plagued Marcus Davenport. Wonnum is a nice rotational piece who should be considered to be re-signed in the offseason, but he’s not a premier pass-rusher.

He is among several players thriving in Flores’ scheme that has elevated role players like Josh Metellus into star roles. That begs whether the Vikings could continue to improve the defense by pairing Wonnum with a more affordable free-agent pass-rusher, instead of splurging on Hunter, and spending elsewhere.

The Vikings have a handful of lucrative contract offers to consider on offense including extending Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw and re-signing Kirk Cousins.

Hunter has found himself in a similar predicament as Cousins with the new regime — they love the player, but the price and age are in the way of a long-term deal. Hunter staged a “hold-in” at training camp this summer in hopes of a new contract and agreed to terms on a restructured one-year contract — another prove-it year for the three-time Pro Bowler.

He’s done just that; but at the expense of potentially pricing out the Vikings if he gets better offers elsewhere.

---

 What a Danielle Hunter Extension Might Look Like

With Hunter poised to become the prized pass-rusher in free agency, the terms of his future contract will be an interesting conversation in the coming months.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report projected on Monday, November 13, that Hunter will sign a four-year deal worth $110 million in 2024 at the conclusion of a massive bidding war around the league.

From Knox:

Hunter should interest any team with pass-rushing needs and a fair amount of cap space because he is a scheme-versatile defender. He has experience rushing from the defensive end spot and as a linebacker, although he’s having a career season under first-year Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

Flores’ system utilizes a three-man front that allows Hunter to come off the edge as a dedicated pressure man. Disguised blitzes have been a big part of Flores’ strategy this season, and no team has blitzed at a higher rate.

Contract-wise, the four-year, $98 million extension that Montez Sweat just signed with the Chicago Bears is probably a starting point for the 29-year-old Hunter.