As the Minnesota Vikings attempt to figure out what to do with Danielle Hunter, trading the veteran pass rusher elsewhere is reportedly "still possible".
During the last few months, the Minnesota Vikings have made several moves that have further separated the current regime from the old one, including parting ways with some of the longest-tenured members of their roster like Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks, and Dalvin Cook. With there still being plenty of uncertainty surrounding the status of Pro Bowl pass rusher Danielle Hunter, could he be the next player from the old regime to be shown the door by Minnesota?
Hunter is currently staging a hold-in, as he reported to Vikings training camp on Tuesday, but he hasn't participated in any of the team's practices since he arrived.
Hunter would like a pay raise, and right now, Minnesota is in the middle of figuring out if they want to fulfill his request or not. If the Vikings opt against giving him a new contract, trading him to another NFL team is reportedly "still possible," according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer on Friday.
Does Minnesota Vikings OLB Danielle Hunter want to be traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars?
Coming off a 2022 season in which he was voted to the Pro Bowl roster for the third time in his NFL career, Hunter should have plenty of interest from around the league if Minnesota makes it known that they are open to a trade.
One team to keep an eye on could be the Jacksonville Jaguars. This could be something that is completely irrelevant, but the Jaguars and Vikings are the only two NFL teams Hunter currently follows on his Instagram account. Could this be a hint that he is interested in landing with Jacksonville if Minnesota decides to trade him?
The Jaguars currently have a little more than $18.5 million in cap space, so they could probably afford to sign Hunter to a new contract after trading for him. Jacksonville also has enough draft capital in 2024 and 2025 to come up with a suitable compensation package for the Vikings.
Could we see Hunter in a Jaguars uniform in the near future, or will Minnesota figure out a way to keep their top pass rusher on their roster for the 2023 season?