Danielle Hunter has agreed to a restructured deal with the Minnesota Vikings as he prepares to make his return to action after missing the entire 2020 campaign on the back of neck surgery
Tuesday 15 June 2021 08:02, UK
Defensive end Danielle Hunter and the Minnesota Vikings have agreed to terms on a restructured deal, NFL Network reported on Monday.
The new arrangement calls for $5.6m of his 2021 base salary to be transferred to a signing bonus, giving him an earlier payday.
Hunter, 26, had been unhappy with the five-year, $72m extension he signed in 2018, and there was a possibility he might not report to the mandatory minicamp that begins on Tuesday.
Under this agreement, a new $18m roster bonus will kick in on the fifth day of the league year next March. At that point, the Vikings can decide to keep him for $20m in 2022 (including the bonus), sign him to another contract or release him in a money-saving move, according to the report.
A third-round pick from LSU in the 2015 NFL Draft, Hunter is a key part of the Vikings defense having been a Pro Bowl selection in 2018 and 2019, across which he posted 14.5 sacks in each season. He missed the entire 2020 campaign though following neck surgery.
In 78 career games (49 starts) with the Vikings, Hunter has 276 tackles (67 for loss), 54.5 sacks, 80 quarterback hits, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and two touchdowns.
It was also reported on Monday that the Vikings were on the verge of signing defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, who was released by the Cleveland Browns in a salary-cap move in April.
It would mark a return to Minnesota for Richardson, a first-round draft pick of the New York Jets in 2013. After four seasons with the Jets, he played with the Seattle Seahawks (2017) and Vikings (2018) before signing a three-year free agent deal with the Browns worth $37m, including $21m guaranteed.
Richardson, 30, has played 121 career games (118 starts) and has 461 tackles (58 for loss), 31 sacks, 92 quarterback hits, 10 forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and one interception.
