The Vikings already let go of several pieces in this offseason's fire sale. One more player, star pass-rusher Danielle Hunter, could be heading out of Minnesota as well.
As the 2023 NFL season creeps closer and closer, many teams are going through the same phase: making disgruntled players happy. In the NFC, the Giants had to put a lollipop in Saquon Barkley's mouth to get him to report to camp this preseason, and the Cowboys are trying their best to ignore their Zack Martin problem.
For the Minnesota Vikings, the team has already released major names like Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook to make more salary cap space. The latest Vikings player being rumored to leave the team is Pro-Bowler and seventh-year pass-rusher Danielle Hunter, who is reportedly unhappy with his contract situation.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Hunter has no interest in playing on his $4.9 million base salary for 2023, and he and Minnesota are currently trying to find a compromise. Amid Hunter's contract dispute, the Vikings have apparently "evaluated trade options" for Hunter. Sources from multiple teams said Minnesota "has made [Hunter] available", though it wasn't clear which teams were interested in him.
Like many other players trying to increase their contract leverage this summer, Hunter skipped Vikings OTAs and mandatory minicamp and is holding out of training camp, too.
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said he hopes to have Hunter back in purple this season and that the two sides are having a "daily dialogue."
Vikings DE Danielle Hunter could get traded before 2023 season
The 28-year-old Hunter is in the final season of a five-year, $70 million deal that he agreed to restructure two years ago. The exact details of Hunter's desired extension are unknown, but it seems like the player and the team are at an impasse when it comes to quantifying Hunter's worth.
Hunter dealt with injuries in recent years and returned in 2022, finishing with 10.5 sacks and 22 quarterback hits. He even got a nod for the AP Comeback Player of the Year award and earned his third career Pro Bowl.
Given those accomplishments, the Vikings pass-rusher may believe his stock has risen; the Vikings, however, seem to value him a bit less and are not rushing to give him the lucrative long-term extension that Hunter thinks he's worth.
For as long as Hunter remains away from training camp, the Vikings will probably keep their options open, and that includes the very real possibility of trading him before September rolls around.