4 Vikings who won't be back in 2024 after missing the playoffs

1. Danielle Hunter, EDGE

Not that anyone expected anything different but, after agreeing to a restructured deal for the 2024 season, Danielle Hunter came out for the Vikings and completely dominated off of the edge. The veteran defensive end was one of the NFL's sack leaders for the season, racking up 15.5 sacks to go along with 21 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.

There is no question that Hunter, when healthy and on the field for the Minnesota defense, is one of the most dangerous sack artists in the league. But the fact of the matter is that the Vikings already had to restructure Hunter's deal heading into this year to agree to a $17 million one-year deal worth up to $20 million in incentives. After the year that Hunter had and with the current market for edge rushers, that number is only likely to go up.

That's where things get interesting for the Vikings. If Minnesota re-signs Cousins and gives Jefferson a lucrative extension, then there would seemingly be no chance for them to have the financial flexibility to re-sign Hunter in free agency. Moreover, even if they move on from Cousins and draft his replacement, the roster still has plenty of other holes that could use the money that would be allocated to Hunter if he were to re-sign.

Perhaps the franchise tag and some financial maneuvering elsewhere would allow the Vikings to retain the 29-year-old Hunter for the 2024 season. However, he looks more like a tag-and-trade candidate than that. Given the situation of the Vikings as a whole, the price tag Hunter will demand, and the ever-present need throughout the NFL for high-end pass-rushers, it's hard to see a world where Minnesota is able to retain him.