Andre Patterson is moving on to the New York Giants. The Minnesota Vikings are moving on to Ed Donatell as defensive coordinator and Chris Rumph as the new defensive line coach. Maybe, just maybe, it’s time for Danielle Hunter to move on as well.
A breakup at this point makes more sense than ever for both sides.
Hunter is playing on a bargain contract for a pass rusher of his elite talent, and the Vikings could be shifting to more of a 3-4 defensive scheme with Donatell overseeing things under soon-to-be hired head coach Kevin O’Connell. That isn’t to suggest Hunter wouldn’t excel in that sort of defense, but he would be asked to do more than simply pinning his ears back and making opposing quarterbacks cry “uncle.”
Do we really need to see that just for the sake of keeping this relationship together? It’s growing stale at this point, and no one needs to stoop to the whole “it’s not you, it’s me” line.
Let’s be straight up, honest and put it all on the table.
Hunter’s contract stinks from his perspective. He’s not even close to making money in line with the other top edge rushers in the league. Throw in the fact that he turns 28 this year and it’s clear that time isn’t necessarily on his side to land that massive extension.
His next contract must be the big one.
Patterson served as both a coach and mentor to Hunter during his time in Minnesota. So his exit is of note considering he was somewhat of a mediator between the Vikings and the standout defensive end last season, when contractual frustrations started bubbling to the surface. When it was announced that Patterson was joining the Giants amid all of the coaching changes happening in Minnesota, Hunter took to social media to post a picture of himself and the highly-respected defensive line coach.
— D Hunt™ (@DHunt94_TX) February 10, 2022
But of course, the Vikings have a valid argument in all of this as well. Hunter might not like the five-year, $72 million deal he signed back in 2018, but he’s the one that put ink to paper. He then went out and posted a ridiculous 14.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons.
An argument could be made that he was well on his way to being paid like T.J. Watt, Joey Bosa and Myles Garrett until the injury bug bit. Hunter missed the entire 2020 season, and he appeared in only seven games in 2021.
The best ability is availability, and he hasn’t consistently been on the field enough for a cap-strapped Vikings team to take the financial plunge.
A trade makes the most sense at this point for both sides. Hunter could land with a team in a better financial position to give him a substantial pay bump, while the Vikings could clear his contract and potentially get a premium draft pick(s) back in return.
Would a team with two first-round picks, like the New York Jets, be enticed enough to offer up the No. 10 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft for Hunter?
Even though he played in less than half of the games this season, he still looked explosive coming off the edge and tallied six sacks. It’s clear that he’s a game-changer in every way possible on the field when he’s healthy.
And then you have to wonder how he feels about everything that’s happened—losing Patterson, the coaching changes and still playing on a bargain contract. Is this the year where contractual frustrations turn into action or even a holdout, perhaps?
The man that was once delivering more sack lunches than a public school field trip might have played his last snap for the Vikings.
