Insider expects NFC North rival to court Vikings Pro Bowl DE in free agency

Minnesota Vikings standout edge rusher Danielle Hunter will hit the free agent market this offseason. While the Vikings would undoubtedly like to keep him, ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler believes that could prove difficult, naming NFC North rival, the Chicago Bears, as a potential landing spot. 

"He will have a very strong market, he turned 29 in October, and several teams had interest at the trade deadline," Fowler wrote. "Chicago could look to add a pass-rusher to complement Montez Sweat in free agency and is very high on Hunter." 

The Vikings and Hunter have been flirting with a breakup recently. Despite negotiations ahead of the 2023 campaign, the two sides could not agree to terms on a long-term deal. Meanwhile, the Bears were among the teams believed to have called Minnesota about a potential trade. 

Ultimately, Hunter stayed put for the year, inking a one-year, $17M contract extension in July.  

A third-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft out of LSU, Hunter emerged as the Vikings' full-time starter by the 2017 campaign and hasn't looked back since. Eight seasons into his NFL career, Hunter is still a dominant force on the edge, coming off arguably his most productive season ever. 

Hunter started all 17 games this season for the second consecutive year, coming off a torn pectoral muscle, which limited him to only seven games in 2021. 

He tallied career-highs in sacks (16.5), tackles (83), and forced fumbles (four) while leading the NFL in tackles for loss (23) to earn his fourth Pro Bowl nod. 

It's unlikely that the Vikings would use the franchise tag on Hunter, and right now, he isn't the team's top priority. According to Fowler, contract talks with the star defensive end are "on hold" until they iron out things at quarterback, whether bringing back Kirk Cousins or going in another direction. 

If Hunter is high on the Bears' want list, they'll have plenty of ammo to get it done. According to Over the Cap, the Bears will have roughly $34M in cap space to play with, the seventh-highest in the NFL.