Danielle Hunter to Holdout of Vikings Mandatory Minicamp

It was reported last week that the Minnesota Vikings were receiving a plethora of “serious” trade offers for their reining sack leader, Danielle Hunter. The leak came from someone in Hunter’s camp, amid rumors of growing frustrated from stagnant contract negotiations between Danielle and the team that picked him in the 3rd round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

On Monday, “one of us” Tom Pelissero (NFL Network) reported that Danielle Hunter — who’s scheduled to make just $5.5 million in 2023 — is planning to holdout of the team’s mandatory minicamp, an annual 3-day offseason workout being held at TCO Performance Center and across NFL workout facilities this week (Tues-Thurs).

Three-time Pro Bowl DE Danielle Hunter plans to skip the #Vikings’ mandatory minicamp, per sources.

The sides haven’t seen eye-to-eye on a new contract. @RapSheet reported Minnesota has received trade calls, and now one of the NFL’s top pass rushers is officially a holdout. pic.twitter.com/GedTiRbIKt

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 12, 2023

What does a Danielle Hunter holdout mean in 2023?

Hunter’s pending holdout is somewhat of a rarity in today’s NFL, compared to how often it used to happen. Fines, which can add up to a maximum of $90,000, have started a new trend called a “hold-in”, where players with active contract negotiations will show up for mandatory team activities but not (or rarely) participate in practices or drills.

Danielle’s camp choosing the old fashioned method of voicing contract frustrations is a clear attempt to let the Vikings and the rest of the league know just how serious they are about their demand for a new deal. We’ll see how Kwesi & Co react.

Shortly after Pelissero reported Hunter’s holdout, Jeremy Fowler (ESPN) is reporting that the Vikings could require a 2nd rounder plus more, in return for their 28-year-old EDGE and that they’d prefer not to trade him at all.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan