4 pros and cons of the Minnesota Vikings paying Danielle Hunter
By Dean Jones
Hunter’s injury concerns
Hopefully, for the player and the Minnesota Vikings, Danielle Hunter can make a full recovery and return to the form of old. But that is far from a guarantee with an injury of this magnitude.
A herniated disc is one of the more serious injuries an NFL player can suffer. This is a fragile area of the body and given the violent nature of the defensive end spot, all it would take is one big hit for it for something to potentially occur again.
Something a little more substantial than what head coach Mike Zimmer described as a ‘tweak’ during training camp and the early stages of the campaign. Hunter does have time on his side and now has the best part of a year to get himself ready for the 2021 season, but this injury doesn’t exactly scream contract extension and megabucks from the Vikings’ perspective.
When Hunter is at the top of his game, he is well worth the financial investment. However, for the edge rusher to be reportedly demanding a pay rise at this juncture is something the Vikings shouldn’t be willing to do.
If Hunter comes back and is firing on all cylinders at 100 percent, coupled with no lingering damage following rehabilitation, then it might be a different story.
For now, Minnesota who not fold Hunter’s request and see how the situation plays out in the coming months.