NFL Rumors: Vikings' Danielle Hunter, Colts Have Had Contract Talks amid Free Agency

The Indianapolis Colts have spoken with Minnesota Vikings defensive end and impending free agent Danielle Hunter, per ESPN's Stephen Holder, who provided more information:

Hunter has taken the field in Minnesota for eight seasons (2015-2019, 2021-2023), amassing 87.5 sacks and 134 quarterback hits along the way.

The 29-year-old has also made four Pro Bowls over his past five seasons, including back-to-back appearances in 2022 and 2023.

The ex-LSU star is coming off a season where he racked up a career-high 16.5 sacks and an NFL-high 23 tackles for a loss.

Hunter has made an incredible comeback since missing the entire 2020 season with a herniated disc in his neck and most of the 2021 campaign (10 of 17 games) with a torn pectoral muscle.

Since then, he's started all 34 of the Vikings' regular season games, accumulating 22 quarterback hits in both 2022 and 2023.

Naturally, he's a big name available in free agency. Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com ranked him as the No. 3 free agent in this year's class.

Pro Football Focus, which ranked him as the 12th-best free agent in this year's class (and No. 2 edge-rusher behind only Brian Burns, now of the New York Giants), had this to say:

"Hunter was a revelation in new Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores' blitz-heavy scheme, though he was just as productive in 2022," PFF wrote.

"Teams that run a 3 4 or 4 3 could probably find a way to deploy Hunter effectively, and injury concerns of a few years ago seem like distant memories. He finished another season with 900 plus snaps, 70 plus quarterback pressures and double-digit sacks."

The Colts, who allowed the fifth-most points in the NFL last year, could certainly use reinforcements.

They did fare well in the pass-rushing department (51 sacks), but adding a premium talent like Hunter would still be welcome in Indianapolis, which will have to contend with some young star AFC South quarterbacks (e.g. the Houston Texans' C.J. Stroud and the Jacksonville Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence) for years to come.

And if the Tennessee Titans' Will Levis pans out, that only adds to the sense of urgency to reload on defense.

Ultimately, Hunter should naturally draw interest from multiple teams, but the Colts are clearly on the board as a suitor here.