Vikings' Danielle Hunter Out for Season After Injury Diagnosed as Torn Pectoral

Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Sunday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys and will miss the remainder of the season.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer confirmed the news to reporters after Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network first reported that the team feared Hunter would miss the season.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Hunter was off to a stellar start to the 2021 season. He recorded 38 tackles and six sacks through seven games, putting him on pace for his fourth season of double-digit sacks.

This will be the second straight year Hunter suffered a season-ending injury. He missed the entire 2020 campaign with a herniated disk in his neck. 

Before the 2020 campaign, Hunter had been relatively healthy, missing two games in five seasons.

The Vikings owe Hunter an $18 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the 2022 league year. His recent bouts with injuries may impact the otherwise obvious decision to keep him on the roster. The team would save $14.6 million in cap space by cutting Hunter.