10 bold Minnesota Vikings predictions for the 2024 offseason

Bold Vikings Prediction No. 5

The Vikings will re-sign Danielle Hunter

If you’re doing the math at home, you might believe that if the Vikings sign Justin Jefferson to a long-term extension and bring Kirk Cousins back in free agency, they won’t have room to bring back Danielle Hunter.

But there are certain loopholes Minnesota used to keep their core together.

The Vikings have Rob Brzezinski in their front office, who is the Simone Biles of salary cap gymnastics.

While Minnesota has a lot of financial decisions to make, they are currently expected to have over $37 million in cap space heading into the offseason and could have even more if Harrison Smith decides to retire.

While the Vikings could use void years to soften the blow, they’ll also have one more year of Jefferson’s rookie deal before an extension would kick in next season.

For example, Bosa’s contract carries a cap hit of under $21 million in each of the first three seasons before ballooning to $42 million in 2026.

With no guaranteed money in the contract, that could lead to a negotiation point for a new contract and can tack money onto the $5.8 million spread through void years in 2028 and 2029.

This could open the door for Hunter’s return after logging 16.5 sacks in his first season under Brian Flores.

While there will be other suitors looking to hand him a blank check, Flores’s pending return could sway Hunter the opposite way and keep him in Minneapolis into his early 30s.