The Vikings announced Wednesday that they’ve agreed to a contract extension with defensive end Danielle Hunter.
Terms of the extension aren’t official, but NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that Hunter signed a five-year deal that will pay him approximately $14 million per season.
Danielle Hunter is still only 23 years old. My understanding is it's a 5-year extension that will pay Hunter around $14M per year — top-10 defensive end money. #Vikings
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 27, 2018
If his contract is indeed going to pay him $14 million per year, it’ll rank eighth in the league among defensive ends, just behind teammate Everson Griffen, who is due to make $14.5 million next season, according to SpoTrac.
Minnesota drafted Hunter in the third round in 2015. He was just 20 years old at the time and has since racked up 25 1/2 sacks in three seasons, which is most among players who debuted in the NFL in 2015.
He set a career-high with 12 1/2 sacks in 2016, but that number dropped 7 sacks last season – his first full season as a starter.
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Hunter has been saying his goal in 2018 is to stop thinking as much and let his natural abilities take over.
“Once you start thinking, that’s when you slow down. A lot of pass rushers tend to overthink because they’re trying to be perfect,” Hunter said, via Vikings.com. “At my position, you’re not going to be perfect. The best thing about it is to go out there and continue to train and work on your technique, and your body will react.”
Wide receiver Stefon Diggs and and linebacker Anthony Barr are the remaining key players who have yet to sign extensions and are due to become free agents after the 2018 season.
