When the Vikings had to reset their defensive front in 2024 when they knew they could no longer afford their star pass rusher Danielle Hunter. They ended up replacing him with Jonathan Greenard in a move that has proved to be beneficial to the team through one season as he formed one of the best pass rush duos in the league with Andrew Van Ginkel.
Meanwhile, Hunter essentially switched spots with Greenard and signed with the Houston Texans. In the process, he was able to sign a contract with the team that he had been unable to secure with the Vikings.
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According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, Hunter’s contract with the Texans is one of the more “player-friendly” deals for edge rushers in the entire NFL.
After signing his initial deal, Hunter signed a one-year extension with the team, and as Graziano explains, he is now set up to make more money than before. He writes, “All told, Hunter will end up making $61.5 million in his first two years in Houston and a fully guaranteed $84.1 million over his first three. And because he was extended for only one year, another strong season by him would put Houston in the same boat next offseason of having to extend him again or let him play out the final year of his contract.”
If the Vikings had spent this much money on Hunter, they would not have the flexibility they have enjoyed with their salary cap. It has allowed them to be spenders the last two offseasons, while also extending several prominent cornerstone players within the franchise as Kwesi Adofo-Mensah builds out this roster.
Vikings fans can be happy for Hunter though, until they play him in a Super Bowl matchup of course.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Former Vikings pass rusher has ‘player friendly’ deal with new team