Pro Bowl pass rusher Danielle Hunter is again surfacing in trade rumors as the stud defensive end continues to find himself mired in a contract stalemate with the Minnesota Vikings.
However, things seem to be different than in the past. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media is reporting that multiple teams have called the Vikings about Hunter with interest being considered “serious.”
There are a lot of layers to this most-recent report. Hunter is currently playing under a five-year, $72 million contract. He’s vastly underpaid in the grand scheme of things and is set to hit free agency after the 2023 campaign.
A three-time Pro Bowl performer, Hunter has long been at odds with the Vikings’ front office about his worth to the team. That’s now extended to two different regimes in Minnesota. What we do know is that the 28-year-old Hunter has been among the most consistent performers at the edge since jumping on to the scene as a rookie back in 2015.
- Danielle Hunter stats: 112 QB hits, 85 tackles for loss, 71 sacks
Hunter is averaging 16 QB hits and 10 sacks throughout his seven-year career. He’s a prime option for contending teams in need of pass-rush help.
As for Minnesota, it has been in cost-cutting mode all offseason. That includes releasing mainstays such as wide receiver Adam Thielen and linebacker Eric Kendricks while trading fellow Pro Bowl pass rusher Za’Darius Smith.
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Ideal Danielle Hunter landing spots in a trade
Again, a number of contending teams will have interest in Hunter should Minnesota actually become serious about trading the pass rusher.
From a short-term perspective, he’s set to count just $5.4 million against the 2023 NFL salary cap for an acquiring team. Sure, an extension would likely have to be worked out. But that’s doable at this point in the offseason. Here’s a look at four ideal destinations in a trade.
- New England Patriots: Hunter is an interesting case-study in that he can play in both the 4-3 and 3-4 defensive schemes. New England runs a hybrid under Bill Belichick. It also has a major need next to Matt Judon. We have seen the Patriots pull off similar moves of this ilk in the past. It would not be a surprise if Belichick and Co. kicked the tires on Danielle Hunter.
- Kansas City Chiefs: The defending Super Bowl champions selected edge guy Felix Anudike-Uzomah in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft as an immediate replacement for the released Frank Clark. They also have 2022 first-round pick George Karlaftis set to break out big time. However, adding a proven guy like Hunter to the mix makes a ton of sense. General manager Brett Veach has pulled off similar trades in the past with Clark and former Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. being two recent examples.
- San Francisco 49ers: It really depends on the asking price from Minnesota. Given that the 49ers are about to hand Nick Bosa the richest contract for a non-quarterback in NFL history, they won’t be able to retain Hunter long term. Rather, this would be a rental to increase San Francisco’s Super Bowl odds for the 2023 season. What we do know is that the 49ers were in on Za’Darius Smith before he was dealt to Cleveland. The team also has a need opposite Bosa out on the edge. From an on-field perspective, this is potentially the best fit.
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Former first-round pick Josh Allen is not happy about his contract situation and could potentially hold out of training camp. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Travon Walker, still has ways to go before being considered an elite edge guy. Outside of that, the Jaguars don’t have much from a pass-rush perspective. Fresh off a surprising playoff appearance in 2022, it wouldn’t be a surprise if general manager Trent Baalke called up the Vikings about Hunter.