With the Vikings’ mandatory minicamp in full swing, Vikings fans have seen many familiar faces in the training facility. However, one has been absent the whole week: OLB Danielle Hunter.
Hunter is entering the final year of his contract, which he signed back in 2018. Hunter renegotiated his contract last season, leaving his contract with a $4.9 million base salary in 2023, and weekly roster bonuses that could tally up to $500,000.
Hunter has been in contract negotiations with the Vikings for the whole offseason and withheld from voluntary minicamp in order to further those negotiations.
With Hunter choosing to withhold from mandatory minicamp, he will be subjected to numerous fines. The fines will consist of $16,459 for the first day and $32,920 for the second day.
Trade talks have reportedly begun between the Vikings and other teams, as they now look to possibly ship Hunter out. A trade did not seem as plausible at the beginning of contract negotiations as it does now. Reported teams that the Vikings have talked to include the Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, and Baltimore Ravens.
If Hunter were to be traded, he would be added to the list of longtime Vikings and veterans that were let go by the Vikings this offseason. That list includes WR Adam Thielen, LB Eric Kendricks, CB Patrick Peterson, OLB Za’Darius Smith, and RB Dalvin Cook.
The Vikings and Danielle Hunter will continue to have contract negotiations throughout minicamp, and it looks like the Vikings will prefer to try and keep Hunter in Minnesota than to trade him or let him go.
