Throughout this offseason, which is still relatively early, the Minnesota Vikings have made significant investments in free agency. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell had promised to strengthen the trenches, and they wasted no time delivering on that commitment within the first 24 hours of the free agency negotiation period.
On the defensive side, the front office has focused on bolstering the interior of the defensive line. This mirrors last year’s approach, when they focused on the edge by signing Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel from the 2024 free-agent class. Both players proved to be crucial to Minnesota’s unexpected success last season.
Before securing those key defensive signings, however, the Vikings had to part ways with Danielle Hunter, a standout pass rusher they had drafted and developed into one of the NFL’s top 4-3 defensive ends.
After the Vikings decided not to extend Hunter, he signed with his hometown Houston Texans for two years and $49 million. Hunter repaid the Texans’ faith in him with an impressive debut season, starting all 17 games and recording 12 sacks, 46 tackles (17 for loss), and a career-high 23 quarterback hits.
Hunter’s ability to stay healthy has been a highlight, especially considering his injury history. In 2023 with the Vikings, he posted career highs in sacks (16.5), tackles (83), tackles for loss (23), and forced fumbles (4), which certainly helped him land his lucrative deal in Houston.
Now, the Texans are reworking his contract to reflect his success. The 30-year-old, coming off another Pro Bowl season, will earn $32 million this year and $54.1 million fully guaranteed. This deal makes him the second-highest paid defensive end in the league, behind only Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby.
With this new extension, Hunter’s deal is not only bigger but also includes more guaranteed money and an additional year. As the Texans aim to take another step forward, head coach DeMeco Ryans will look to Hunter, who has been selected to the Pro Bowl in five of the six seasons he’s started at least 16 games and has accumulated 99.5 career sacks.
Leave a Reply