NFL Rumors: 3 Danielle Hunter landing spots in 2024 free agency

1. Chicago Bears

The worst possible outcome for the Minnesota Vikings and their fanbase is to see Danielle Hunter land with a division rival. It just so happens that one of their rivals has a boatload of cap space to use to add a pass rusher to pair alongside Montez Sweat, who they traded for and signed to a long-term extension at the midseason deadline. That team is the Chicago Bears.

This offseason, the Bears are the team to follow. That's mostly because they have to decide whether they want to keep quarterback Justin Fields or replace him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, whether that's USC's Caleb Williams or North Carolina's Drake Maye or LSU's Jayden Daniels. Besides that, they have to bolster their roster, and have over $70 million in cap space as of this writing.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler (subscription required) mentioned the Bears as a team to watch for Hunter. Fowler says the Bears are looking to find a player to complement Sweat and are "very high" on Hunter.

The defense took off after acquiring Sweat. In just nine games with the team, Sweat recorded 23 quarterback hurries, eight sacks, and six quarterback hits, per Pro Football Focus. Sweat was an immediate upgrade for a Chicago pass rush that had difficulties getting to the quarterback.

Adding a difference maker like Hunter could help the Bears compete in an NFC North that was once considered weak, but is now very tough with the Detroit Lions nearly making the Super Bowl and the Green Bay Packers making a run to the NFC Divisional Round.