A Possible Danielle Hunter Contract Compromise?
Sean Borman
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With training camp right around the corner, there’s still a major offseason task that the Vikings need to check off their to-do list.
Danielle Hunter is in the last year of a five-year, $72M contract that was agreed to back in 2018. He’s due to make $5.5M in cash this season.
A Possible Danielle Hunter Contract Compromise?
Because of the low cash flow in 2023, Hunter held out of offseason activities with a potential raise in sight.
The way most fans see it, there are a few scenarios for how the Hunter situation could play itself out, including an extension (roughly a three-year deal for around $20M/year), or Hunter could be traded.
Another possibility lies in a one-year raise.
This offseason, one-year restructures were completed with Harrison Smith and Jordan Hicks. Kirk Cousins is in the last year of his deal, and although void years were added to his contract, he was not given an extension. So, a one-year deal for Hunter would align with other contract decisions made this spring and summer.
During a recent Scoops podcast, Darren Wolfson of KSTP said the team is willing to give Hunter a significant pay increase this season.
“The Vikings continue to try and give Danielle Hunter a 2023 salary bump. Potentially some haggling over future years and guarantees. Okay, the Vikings are willing to give Danielle a sizable leap this year. The Vikings want Danielle to play for them this year.”
What sort of money are they willing to guarantee him in 2024? Potentially 2025? Rip up the current contract? Do a new long-term deal? My sense is there could be some haggling over that.
So far, my understanding is there have not been any serious trade talks. Now, could it get to that point? It would not shock me whatsoever. If the two sides can’t come to a happy medium — they’ve tried, for many, many weeks — if they can’t come to a happy medium at some point, do the Vikings just say, “Uncle, mercy, we are going to trade him?”
But so far, we are not at that point. In real-time, the Vikings operate as if, “Hey, we will find a way to give Danielle a sizable bump. We want him here in 2023.”
Based on these words from Wolfson, it’s not a stretch to believe the Vikings would like to keep Hunter around on a short-deal team that allows them to maintain roster flexibility after this season.
Giving Hunter a big one-year raise could be a way for the Vikings to avoid paying Hunter a new deal in the $20M/year range while keeping a comp pick in play if Hunter were to leave as a free agent in 2024.
Hunter gets a large bonus and the opportunity to hit free agency before reaching his age 30 season. Just like with Kirk Cousins, the team would have the option of moving on from Hunter next offseason.
Of course, Hunter and his camp, presumably, would prefer a longer-term deal. Long-term deals haven’t been the Vikings modus operandi under Adofo-Mensah so far — but now may be the time to buck the trend and hand out a multi-year deal to keep the team’s best defender on the roster.
How the Hunter situation plays out will be a telling sign for the Vikings front office. We’ll see if anything breaks before training camp starts next week.
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