Vikings EDGE Danielle Hunter Is Officially Holding Out of Mandatory Minicamp

Danielle Hunter
Jan 11, 2020; Santa Clara, California, USA; Minnesota Vikings, Defensive End, Danielle Hunter, (99) at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

For the past few days, there have been trade rumors surrounding Vikings EDGE Danielle Hunter circulating around the league. These rumors have come largely due to the fact that he has not received a new contract from Minnesota, and now, a new report from Tom Pelissero of NFL Network came in on Monday morning that Hunter is officially holding out of mandatory minicamp this week.

This is not necessarily a surprise, though. Currently, Hunter is in the final year of a contract that he signed back in 2018. That deal is set to pay him all of $13.1 million this year, including a base salary of just $4.9 million. That base salary total ranks 24th among all EDGE players in the NFL.

Vikings EDGE Danielle Hunter
Danielle Hunter records a safety in a game in Carolina last season (Photo Courtesy: Andy Kenutis)

The three-time Pro Bowler is fully in the right to ask for more money when this is the case. He is severely underpaid, particularly considering how well he bounced back in 2022.

Hunter recorded 10.5 sacks, one of 19 players to crack double-digits last season. This is significant considering there were plenty of questions regarding his health heading into 2022 after playing just seven total games between 2020 and 2021. He missed the entire 2020 season with a neck injury and the final 10 games of 2021 due to a torn pectoral muscle.

As a result of some of these concerns, the Vikings decided to bring Za’Darius Smith aboard. At best, he’d be a fabulous running mate for Hunter, and at worst, he’d be a replacement option. The former ended up being the case as Hunter played all 17 games and Smith recorded 10 sacks as well.

Danielle Hunter
Nov 4, 2018; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter (99) celebrates after a sack during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

That being said, the Vikings decided to trade Smith this offseason after just one season with the team. They did sign Marcus Davenport to a one-year contract worth $13 million, but without Smith on the roster, Hunter’s value is only amplified with the Vikings.

Davenport became a free agent this season after the New Orleans Saints decided not to bring him back following a 2022 season in which he recorded just half a sack. If Minnesota doesn’t sort things out with Hunter, and he does ask to be moved, that leaves Davenport at the top of Minnesota’s depth chart along with other players like Patrick Jones, Luiji Vilain, and D.J. Wonnum.

Danielle Hunter
Sep 22, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter (99) looks on during the game against the Oakland Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

There is no reason to believe that the Vikings can’t sort things out with Hunter in the coming weeks before training camp. They are now up to $17.8 million in salary cap space this year after releasing Dalvin Cook, so they have plenty of room to get more money into Hunter’s wallet. Hopefully, it gets sorted out sooner rather than later.

The Vikings will undergo mandatory minicamp throughout the week, and then their training camp will begin in late July.

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

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