Is Danielle Hunter a free agent this year? Ranking top 3 landing spots for Vikings LB

Danielle Hunter has been one of the NFL's most productive pass rushers during his eight-season career. He has double-digit sacks during five of those seasons and is averaging 10.9 sacks per year.

The elite edge rusher has spent his career with the Minnesota Vikings after being drafted by the franchise in 2015 out of LSU. His impressive run could be coming to an end during the 2024 offseason. His contract expired at the end of last season, so he is a pending free agent.

Is Danielle Hunter a free agent this year?

Danielle Hunter

When the 2023 season concluded, Danielle Hunter's contract with the Minnesota Vikings expired. The two sides have until March 13 when the 2024 NFL free-agency period begins to work out a new deal. A failure to do so will result in Hunter becoming an unrestricted free agent, making him able to sign with any team that offers him a contract.

While his solid career results would be enough to make him an attractive target for many teams in free agency, his monstrous 2023 NFL season helps his value even more. He set career highs with 83 tackles and 16.5 sacks, proving that despite being 29 years old, he is still as dominant now as he ever was. If he does hit the open market, he could be a priority for several teams.

Top three landing spots for Danielle Hunter

Danielle Hunter

#1, Buffalo Bills

While the Buffalo Bills were successful in rushing opposing passers last year, including their 54 sacks being the fourth-most in the NFL, they would benefit from an elite edge player. Von Miller appears to be far past his prime, and their other top rushers, Leonard Floyd, AJ Epenesa and Shaq Lawson, are set to hit free agency. Adding Hunter would be a massive upgrade from all of them.

#2, Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders were probably the worst defense in the NFL last season, allowing the most points and yards per game. One of the reasons why is that they traded Montez Sweat and Chase Young at the trade deadline. Adding Hunter could reload their pass rushers and potentially get their defense out of the basement.

#3, Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears defense continually showed improvements as the season went on. One area that they still need significant upgrades is on their edge after recording just 30 sacks last year, the second-fewest in the NFL. The franchise is expected to have nearly $80 million in salary cap space this year, the third-most in the league, so targeting a high-end free agent makes sense.