Star pass rusher Daniel Hunter and the Houston Texans have agreed to a two-year, $49 million contract that includes $48 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
The deal is worth up to $51 million, according to people familiar with the matter.
Effectively, the Texans and Minnesota Vikings will be trading sack leaders in 2023. On Monday, Jonathan Greenard, who led the Texans with 12.5 sacks last season, agreed to a four-year, $72 million contract with the Vikings.
The addition of Hunter gives the Texans a formidable pass-rush duo in Hunter and 2023 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr., who had seven sacks in his first season.
Hunter becomes the second star addition by the Texans on Tuesday. The Texans previously agreed to a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals to acquire running back Joe Mixon.
Hunter, 29, produced perhaps the best season of his career in 2023 under defensive coordinator Brian Flores' scheme. He recorded 16.5 sacks and 1,006 snaps, both career highs. He also earned consistent praise from Coach Flores for his ability and willingness to provide an edge to the Vikings' run defense, leading the NFL with 23 tackles for loss along the way.
The 2023 season not only capped off a remarkable comeback for Hunter, who missed the entire 2020 season due to injury and another 10 games in 2021, but also solidified his flexibility within multiple schemes. did. Hunter recorded his first 60.5 sacks in five seasons as a 4-3 defensive end under former coach Mike Zimmer.
When he returned from neck and bicep injuries in 2022, the Vikings waived Zimmer and replaced him with Kevin O'Connell, who favored a 3-4 scheme. Over the next two seasons, Hunter totaled 27 sacks while playing a hybrid outside linebacker position.
Hunter only recorded 4.5 sacks in his collegiate career at LSU, but former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman saw him as an ideal edge rusher and selected him in the third round of the 2015 draft. He recorded 18.5 sacks in a limited role in his first two seasons and became a full-time starter in 2017. He signed a five-year, $72 million contract extension before the 2018 season, but it quickly expired, ultimately leading to a short-term contract extension and a “hold-in” during training camp in 2023.
To get him on the practice field, the Vikings gave him a small raise and agreed not to use the franchise tag when his contract expires this spring, paving the way for free agency.
ESPN's Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.
