Vikings Rumors: 'Almost No Chance' of Danielle Hunter Trade After Kirk Cousins Injury

Despite losing Kirk Cousins for the rest of the season to an Achilles injury, the Minnesota Vikings don't appear likely to move on from Danielle Hunter ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, there's "almost no chance" Hunter gets moved by the Vikings.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed on Monday that Cousins tore his Achilles during the team's 24-10 win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 8.

When Cousins injury occurred, the immediate reaction from fans and analysts was the Vikings should turn the page to 2024. Their backup quarterback is Jaren Hall, a fifth-round rookie out of BYU.

Justin Jefferson was already out of action for at least four games after being placed on injured reserve on Oct. 11 due to a strained right hamstring. O'Connell has said the team won't try to rush him back until he's fully healthy.

Not that there's ever a good time for a quarterback to suffer a season-ending injury, but Cousins' was especially badly timed because the Vikings have been playing really well. They've won four of their last five games, including three straight without Jefferson.

If the Vikings had gone into sell mode, Hunter figured to be one of the most attractive trade chips. He was on the market during the offseason due to unhappiness with his contract.

The Vikings put an end to the trade talks by signing Hunter to a new deal in July that gave him $17 million in guaranteed money and a no-tag clause that allows him to be an unrestricted free agent next offseason.

Having a no-tag clause is significant because it guarantees Hunter will hit the open market without having to worry about receiving the franchise tag. The three-time Pro Bowler is having a fantastic walk year with an NFL-high 12 tackles for loss and 10 sacks through eight games.

Minnesota is at the trade deadline as the final playoff team in the NFC with a 4-4 record. If the team can find some semblance of stability at quarterback without Cousins, it wouldn't be a surprise to see this group make the postseason based on what it has done so far.