Danielle Hunter’s ‘little tweak’: Should Vikings fans be worried?
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Vikings are a little more than two weeks from hosting the Green Bay Packers to open the regular season at U.S. Bank Stadium, and one very noticeable player hasn’t been practicing for nearly two weeks.
Defensive end Danielle Hunter missed his ninth straight practice on Tuesday. He’s put on the practice jersey, helmet and pads once at Training Camp. Otherwise, he’s done some individual work and stood and watched on the sideline while the rest of his teammates practice.
Hunter is the star of the defensive line, and will have more responsibilities this year with Everson Griffen and Linval Joseph leaving the team in the off-season. That’s assuming he’s healthy. When asked initially about Hunter sitting out his first practice, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said he had a “little tweak” and that he’ll be fine.
That was nearly two weeks ago. The Vikings held a simulated last 10 minutes of the fourth quarter in part of Sunday’s practice, and Hunter watched his defensive teammates from the sideline. The team will practice at U.S. Bank Stadium on Friday, scrimmage for a half and we don’t yet know if Hunter will be on the field.
As each day passes and Hunter isn’t practicing, uncertainty mounts on if he’ll play Week 1 against the Packers. Adding to the uncertainty, only the Vikings and Hunter know what the “little tweak” is, and they’re not obligated to reveal it until the week leading up to facing the Packers. The NFL doesn’t require injury reports, only issuing daily Reserve/COVID-19 lists for players who either test positive or come in close contact with a carrier. Hunter also hasn't held a media session since Training Camp started, which can only fuel speculation that something isn't right physically.
Hunter makes a living out of terrorizing opposing quarterbacks and taking offenses out of their game. He had 14.5 sacks last season to lead the Vikings, and became the fastest player in NFL history to amass at least 50 sacks in his first five seasons. He sits at 54.5 sacks in 78 career games.
He's a two-time Pro Bowl selection, and what should stress Vikings fans out is that Hunter generally doesn’t take “maintenance” or “rest” days away from the practice field. He definitely doesn’t take nine days off, so clearly, something is ailing the defensive star. To what degree, we don’t know.
Perhaps the Vikings are being extra cautious with Hunter, as they should if they hope to have him for an entire regular season and beyond. Hunter has shown he's durable, having started every game for the Vikings the last three seasons.
But the more time he stands and watches practice, the more Vikings fans are left to wonder if Hunter will be on the field Week 1 against the Packers.