Just days into NFL free agency, the Houston Texans signed 4x Pro Bowl edge rusher Danielle Hunter to a two-year, $49 million contract. Part of the agreement also ensured Hunter would be getting $48M guaranteed. It’s a great contract for a player who has battled injuries in the past, including missing an entire season due to neck surgery.
Yet, Hunter has clearly rebuilt his value, playing in all 34 games across the past two seasons while recording 27 sacks. The free agency interest in Hunter came as no surprise, and the same goes for his salary. However, there was one team that actually offered the 29-year-old sack artist even more money than he accepted to sign with Houston.
According to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, the Indianapolis Colts actually offered Hunter even more money than the Texans did. Yet, Hunter valued the opportunity to play close to where he grew up, in Katy, Texas, and wound up choosing the Texans instead of the Colts.
Still, it sets up a fun AFC South battle over the next two years, with Hunter facing off with the Colts twice per season, knowing they arguably wanted him even more than the Texans did. That’s respect. But chances are, once the whistle blows, Hunter won’t care about respect because it will be time to play football instead.
After the Colts learned they weren’t able to sign Hunter, GM Chris Ballard pivoted to other plans, which included paying key players to return, such as Kenny Moore and Michael Pittman Jr. But one area they didn’t do much to address is the pass rush, but perhaps that’s what the NFL Draft will be for while they continue rebuilding the secondary.
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