Danielle Hunter leaving Vikings for 2-year deal with Texans
Danielle Hunter #99 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on against the New York Giants in the third quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 24, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Giants 27-24. ((Photo by David Berding/Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - On Monday, the Minnesota Vikings lost Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons on a four-year contract.
Tuesday, they lost star edge rusher Danielle Hunter to the Houston Texans on a two-year contract. The deal is reportedly worth up to $49 million, with $48 million guaranteed. Hunter leaves Minnesota after eight seasons, and being named to the Pro Bowl four of the last five seasons.2
Hunter made 17 starts last year and had 83 tackles and 16.5 sacks. In 119 career games, Hunter has 87.5 sacks. He became the fastest player in NFL history to 50 sacks in his first five seasons, doing so after getting 14.5 in 2019.
The writing was probably on the wall for Hunter after he held in at training camp last year and didn’t practice until he got a new contract for the 2023 season. On Monday, the Vikings agreed to terms with edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, who had 12.5 sacks and 36 tackles with the Texans last year. They’re also bringing in linebacker Adam Van Ginkel, who had 17 sacks in five seasons with the Miami Dolphins.
Contracts will be made official starting Wednesday afternoon, when free agents can put pen to paper.