When Danielle Hunter signed his Vikings extension in the summer of 2018 — a five-year, $72M pact — most viewed it as a team-friendly agreement. With Khalil Mack soon raising the edge-rusher price ceiling to $23.5M per year, Hunter’s contract quickly became a bargain for the Vikings.
On average, Hunter’s $14.4M-per-year price now ranks 17th among edge defenders. This offseason, zero-time Pro Bowlers like Dante Fowler and Arik Armstead signed for more than Hunter makes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, whispers have emerged that the two-time Pro Bowl defensive end is unhappy with his contract, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes.
Hunter has three 12-plus-sack seasons and has recorded 14.5 in each of the past two. While Fowler expects the Vikings to address the issue at some point, they have him under team control through 2023. The 25-year-old defensive end is currently on Minnesota’s IR list.
Here is the latest from the NFC, shifting first to another contract issue:
- Zach Ertz‘s Eagles situation certainly became one to monitor, with the Pro Bowl tight end voicing his frustrations about his future with the franchise and reportedly engaging in a heated discussion with GM Howie Roseman. The changing tight end marketplace, as could be expected, has affected Ertz’s extension discussions. The deals the 49ers and Chiefs, respectively, gave George Kittle and Travis Kelce complicated the Eagles’ Ertz talks, forcing them to stall, Fowler adds. Ertz is under contract through 2021, but his $8.5M-per-year deal is now well out of step with the top of the market. Kelce and Kittle recently signed for more than $14M annually.
- Sean Lee‘s latest injury moved him to the Cowboys‘ IR list, and he might be there for a while. Teams can move players from IR back to active rosters after three weeks this season, but the sports hernia surgery the injury-prone linebacker underwent is expected to shelve him for at least six weeks, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes. The Cowboys are down Lee and Leighton Vander Esch, after what turned out to be a rough opening week for the team. Vander Esch, whom Lee replaced in a three-down role alongside Jaylon Smith late last season, is expected to miss more than six weeks as well. Joe Thomas is set to team with Smith as a three-down player against the Falcons.
- The Buccaneers have downgraded Chris Godwin from doubtful to out for their Week 2 game against the Panthers. Godwin developed concussion-like symptoms midweek and remains in the team’s protocol.
- A groin injury Kenny Clark suffered in Week 1 will sideline him for the Packers‘ Week 2 tilt against the Lions. Clark left last week’s game, leaving Green Bay without its top defensive lineman for the time being.
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