Texans Make Danielle Hunter The Second-Highest-Paid Defensive End
The Houston Texans agreed to a one-year, $35.6 million contract extension on Wednesday to make defensive end Danielle Hunter the league's second-highest-paid defensive end, sources told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Hunter will make $32 million in 2025 (a $12.5 million raise) and $55.1 million ($54.1 million fully guaranteed) over the next two seasons. After signing a two-year, $49 million contract with Houston last offseason, the 30-year-old five-time Pro Bowler had 46 tackles (31 solo), 12 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, 23 QB hits and a forced fumble in 17 regular-season starts in his first year with the team. The former third-round pick (88th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings in 2015 out of LSU has been a Pro Bowler in each of the last three years and has double-digit sacks in each of the last three years as well. He has 99.5 career sacks in nine NFL seasons and will be a starting defensive lineman in IDP leagues yet again.
Four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter is signing an two-year deal with the Houston Texans this week worth $49 million, including $48 million fully guaranteed, according to sources. It's a huge get for the upstart Texans, as Hunter has 87.5 career sacks in 119 games played (90 starts) in his eight seasons in the NFL, all with the Vikings after they took him in the third round in 2015 out of LSU. The 29-year-old pass-rusher has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons and in four of the last five years. He had a career-high 83 tackles (54 solo), a career-high 16.5 sacks, a league-high 23 tackles for loss, 22 QB hits and four forced fumbles in 17 starts for Minnesota in 2023. Hunter finished as a top-five defensive lineman in IDP fantasy leagues last year and will now join forces with Will Anderson Jr. to give Houston's pass rush an even bigger boost.
Vikings Making An Effort To Re-Sign Danielle Hunter
The Minnesota Vikings have made an effort to re-sign edge rusher Danielle Hunter. He had 16.5 sacks last season and has 27 total sacks over the last two years, so he could be the top edge rusher on the market this offseason and would likely generate interest from multiple teams. Most of Minnesota's attention has been focused on find out whether they can keep quarterback Kirk Cousins (Achilles), but Hunter also deserves a lot of focus. Most teams are expecting Hunter to at least be searching for a pretty massive price range for his next deal, something well north of $20 million per season. The 29-year-old's production has matched it, as he has averaged 14 sacks in his past four healthy seasons. Assuming good health, Hunter should be a weekly starting defensive lineman in IDP fantasy leagues, regardless of where he's playing in 2024.
Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter is a strong start in Week 17 against the Green Bay Packers. Hunter ranks third in the NFL with 15.5 sacks, and he is the DE1 on the season because he makes more tackles than most defensive linemen. Even though he did not make a sack last week against the Lions, Hunter still made seven combined tackles, enough for a solid IDP fantasy score. The Packers are a moderately difficult matchup for defensive ends. They have a quality offensive line. Green Bay QB Jordan Love has only been sacked 29 times, the nineteenth most of all quarterbacks. Hunter is matchup-proof as an IDP star.
As the trade deadline at the end of October nears, the Minnesota Vikings are receiving calls on NFL sack leader Danielle Hunter. The Vikings could fall further out of contention with star wide receiver Justin Jefferson (hamstring) on Injured Reserve, so it's very possible Hunter or someone else could be traded at this year's deadline. Hunter is currently leading the league with eight sacks through six weeks after signing a one-year, $20 million deal in the offseason. If the 28-year-old pass-rusher is dealt to a contending team for the second half of the season, he could be even more productive for his fantasy managers in IDP leagues.
Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter has made at least one sack in each of the past four games going back to last season's playoffs. Hunter ranks No. 2 with five sacks, and he has a good chance to extend his streak to five weeks in this Week 4 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers have allowed nine sacks, the eleventh-most in the league. Carolina QB Bryce Young struggles against pressure, and Hunter has converted 41.7% of his pressures into sacks.
The Vikings and defensive end Danielle Hunter agreed to a new one-year contract. The three-time Pro Bowler was set to earn $5.5 million this season. But he is now guaranteed $17 million, with the chance to earn up to $20 million. The deal also prohibits Minnesota from using the franchise tag on him next offseason, meaning he'll become an unrestricted free agent. Hunter has played in Minnesota his whole career, totaling 378 tackles, 71 sacks, and seven forced fumbles in 102 games. Without question, the 28-year-old will garner interest from multiple teams, although he'll need to prove he's still worth big money.
Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter, who skipped last month's minicamp while awaiting resolution on his future, reported to training camp on Tuesday, according to head coach Kevin O'Connell. However, even though he showed up, he's not expected to practice until his contract situation gets resolved. The 28-year-old pass-rusher is scheduled to make $4.9 million in 2023, and he feels he deserves more after making the Pro Bowl three out of the last four seasons. In 2022, Hunter had 65 tackles (46 solo), 10.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 22 QB hits, three passes defensed and a forced fumble in 17 regular-season starts for the Vikes. His fantasy stock in IDP leagues is a bit down heading into the 2023 season, but at worst, he'll be a streaming option at defensive line this year.
Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter is planning to hold out of the team's mandatory minicamp as he seeks a new contract. The 28-year-old posted 10.5 sacks last season, earning his third trip to the Pro Bowl in eight seasons with the Vikings. Minnesota has received trade calls for Hunter, but it's unclear whether the team is interested in moving one of the top rushers in the NFL. Hunter has just the 15th-highest average salary among all edge rushers heading into 2023. This will be a development worth monitoring, as his absence could prove disastrous for one of the league's worst defenses from last season.
The Minnesota Vikings are receiving real trade interest centered around star pass-rusher Danielle Hunter, according to sources. Hunter has made the Pro Bowl in three of the last four seasons and finished last year with 65 tackles (46 solo), 10.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 22 QB hits and a forced fumble in 17 regular season games. He's due to make only $5.5 million in 2023, and Hunter and the Vikings haven't been able to make any progress on a long-term contract extension. A trade of the 28-year-old pass-rusher would have been easier to pull off before the draft, but we'll keep an eye on the situation with training camp quickly approaching. Hunter finished as the No. 10 fantasy defensive lineman in 2022.
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