Danielle Hunter free agency: Vikings pass rusher ‘letting everything play its course’ after career season

Just like last offseason, questions surrounding Danielle Hunter’s future with the Minnesota Vikings are in the forefront. The two parties agreed to a one-year deal, worth up to $20 million, going into the 2023 season, but the year has passed and free agency is coming. 

The pass rusher has spent his entire career with Minnesota, spanning eight seasons. This year he set career highs in combined tackles (83), solo tackles (54), assists on tackles (29) and sacks (16.5). His career-high 23 tackles for a loss led the league in that category and his 86 quarterback pressures were fourth in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats.

“Just letting everything play its course. I did my job. Everything’s in my agent’s hands and my team — and whomever it is that’s out there,” Hunter said (via NFL.com). “My job, like I said, is to do my job. And I’m gonna make sure I stay in shape and whatever is best available for me, I’ll take that.”

Hunter feels like he has done what he can do to prove his worth and is going to wait out whatever comes next. 

“Staying in shape, doing my part, and then when the time comes, my agent or the Vikings, they’ll come to a decision,” Hunter said. “We’ll see what’s best when the time comes.”

His exceptional season earned him his fourth Pro Bowl Games selection, his second in as many years. Hunter gave credit to his coaches and teammates for their part in his performance.

“Just doing my job,” Hunter said as his takeaway of the season. “I take pride in doing what I do. It wasn’t just me alone, my teammates, defensive coordinator put me in the best position to make plays for my team. Like I said, wish I could do more, like making us going to the playoffs.”

The Vikings season wasn’t perfect, going 7-10 and dealing with a lot of injuries, including quarterback Kirk Cousins, wide receiver Justin Jefferson and tight end T.J. Hockenson. Hunter acknowledged that there were “a lot of ups and downs.” He said the team was able to learn from it all. 

“It was football, unfortunate things happen, but we dealt with that as a team together and we finished,” the former third-round pick said.