The Minnesota Vikings took care of edge rusher Danielle Hunter by signing him to a modified one-year contract for the 2023 season. The deal will pay him a max value of $20 million with $17 million of that guaranteed.
This was the most likely situation for the Vikings and Hunter, as a trade likely wasn’t going to give the Vikings enough of a return to make it worthwhile.
The instant reaction to the move was split across the board. Most liked the move, but there were a few detractors, mostly due to the no-tag clause added on.
There was excitement
pic.twitter.com/BEgd36eiwx https://t.co/ZQe3f5syUn
— Forester93 (@Forester932) July 30, 2023
VIKING https://t.co/UkYIHNfrJb
— Addison GOES ZOOM (@Dxgger_) July 30, 2023
— Matt Fries (@FriesFootball) July 30, 2023
Danielle Hunter is very good and you should pay good players imho https://t.co/ez8RzOmAXB
— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) July 29, 2023
Good morning. Glad to see him back. I don’t like his annual contract sulking either, but if the #Vikings are going to have any chance of fielding a good defense, Hunter had to be a key piece of it. #Skol
This gives him money and a chance to test the market next year. https://t.co/qpsGpKJd0G
— Ted Glover (@purplebuckeye) July 30, 2023
Big news for the #Vikings. Solidify a big question mark here by bringing back top end edge rusher for a year! https://t.co/mzhuL75OKD
— Ryan (@sportsguyry) July 30, 2023
Curiosity of the contract
Guessing some void years here but the #Vikings probably avoid having the league’s worst defense by doing this https://t.co/uMRK6UfS2D
— Eric Eager 📊🏈 (@ericeager_) July 30, 2023
It was clear the Vikings didn’t want to do a long-term deal at market value with Hunter, a defensible position given his injury history. But they had to have him for 2023. Gives them credible pass rushers on both sides with Marcus Davenport. Notable they are both on 1-year deals.
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) July 30, 2023
Good decision by Minnesota! https://t.co/7Oe7S6ajDf
— Full-Time Dame 💰 (@DP_NFL) July 30, 2023
Now it's time to shift focus
Hunter gets paid for 2023 AND gets a no-tag clause which was likely a major negotiating point. In all likelihood he’ll be a free agent after the season
Vikings retain their best pass rusher and maintain roster flexibility after the season.
Now… time to give Jefferson the bag
— Sean Borman (@SeanBormanNFL) July 30, 2023
His teammates are excited
Way to start an off day I love it 😍 https://t.co/23pzpsgTvR
— Joshua Metellus (@NoExcuses_23) July 30, 2023
Not everyone loved the move
I honestly kind of hate this move. Hunter himself isn’t going to make a substantial difference on the season. We still aren’t going to win the SB. We don’t have him for the long term either. I guess we get a 3rd round comp pick for him. Don’t get the vision here from #vikings https://t.co/Ygf7HJSN5w
— Nick Miller (@NicholasMMiller) July 30, 2023
Personally not a fan of this. Giving him the no tag clause was boneheaded. At least that way you have flexibility to do a trade next off-season. I feel like unless we start off really hot next year we need to trade him at the deadline for max value
— Tyler Smith (@Tsmith006) July 30, 2023
