Earlier this offseason, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Danielle Hunter was sitting out from practice with what the coach called a “little tweak.”
After that, Hunter kept sitting out practices. He hasn’t participated in one since Aug. 14. This week, the team announced that Hunter will miss at least three games by placing Hunter on IR.
Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks had this to say about Hunter earlier:
It’s going to be hard to replace a guy like that but we have guys who are hungry and want to step up too,” he said, via Matthew Coller of Purple Insider.
The defensive end became the youngest player to reach 50 career sacks in 2019. He has tallied 14.5 sacks in two consecutive seasons.
Next player up is Ifeadi Odenigbo, who had seven sacks in 2019, while taking limited reps behind Everson Griffen and Hunter. When Griffen signed with the Cowboys this offseason, many expected Odenigbo to step up. Jalyn Holmes can also be a run-stopping option there.