Vikings Rumors: Danielle Hunter has interest from multiple NFC North rivals

One of the latest Minnesota Vikings rumors mentions the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears as possible landing spots for Danielle Hunter this offseason.

What the team is going to do about quarterback Kirk Cousins has obviously been the top story of the 2024 offseason for the Minnesota Vikings so far.

But the Vikings also have a top player from the defensive side of the ball heading into free agency this year in Pro Bowl pass rusher Danielle Hunter.

Hunter has been with Minnesota since they used a third-round pick on him in the 2015 NFL Draft, and during his tenure with the franchise, he's been able to accumulate 87.5 sacks in 119 appearances.

Vikings Rumors: NFC North rivals interested in stealing Danielle Hunter from Minnesota

With the Vikings' main focus reportedly on figuring out their future with Cousins, Hunter could potentially find a new home this offseason before Minnesota is even ready to talk to him.

If the veteran pass rusher does end up leaving the Vikings this year, the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears are rumored to be two teams that have an interest in adding him to their 2024 rosters.

This rumor comes from a recent episode of the "Access Vikings" podcast when the Star Tribune's Andrew Krammer and Ben Goessling revealed that they have heard both the Bears and Lions are interested in signing Hunter this year.

Krammer and Goessling also mentioned that these rumors could also have been created by Minnesota's division rivals in order to drive up the price of the soon-to-be free-agent pass rusher.

Hopefully, the rumors aren't true, and Hunter doesn't end up with Chicago or Detroit for the 2024 season. Because not only would the Vikings then have to deal with the fact that they were unable to bring him back this year, but then they would also have to face him out on the field twice next season.

In addition to sharing his possible landing spots this year, Goessling also mentioned that he doesn't expect Hunter to be back in Minnesota for the 2024 season, regardless of whether or not he ends up signing with the Bears or Lions.

Essentially, the Vikings are likely going to need to find someone in free agency or this year's NFL Draft to help replace the production the team will lose when Hunter leaves for another franchise.