Danielle Hunter inked a two-year deal with the Texans last offseason, and the veteran pass rusher is hoping to extend his stay in Houston beyond the 2025 campaign. According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com, Hunter is interested in signing an extension with the Texans.
[RELATED: Texans To Prioritize Extension For Derek Stingley Jr.]
Hunter is set to enter the second and final season of the two-year, $49MM deal he inked with the Texans last offseason. Following a 2024 campaign where the pass rusher added another 12 sacks to his career totals, Hunter is seeking a slight uptick in his average annual value.
Per Pauline, Hunter is eyeing an extension that will pay him more than $30MM per season. That AAV would put him in an exclusive club, as Nick Bosa is the only edge defender currently attached to a $30MM-plus annual salary. Hunter’s current $24.5MM AAV is tied for sixth among edge defenders.
Hunter overcame injury issues in 2020 and 2021 with a pair of strong final seasons in Minnesota. The long-time Vikings standout collected 26.5 sacks between the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, setting himself up for a lucrative payday last offseason. The former third-round pick didn’t crack the top of the market at his position, although he reportedly turned down more money to catch on with the Texans.
The 2025 season will represent Hunter’s age-31 campaign, and he will likely have one last chance to cash in next offseason. If Hunter has his way, he won’t have to make any tough decisions and will simply re-up with the Texans.
Hunter’s extension isn’t the only deal potential extension on Houston’s radar. We heard recently that there was mutual interest in a new deal for cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.. That extension most certainly won’t be cheap, qw Aaron Wilson of KPRC in Houston reports that an extension would be worth at least $25MM. There’s even a chance Stingley resets the cornerback market, which is currently topped by Jalen Ramsey’s $24.1MM average annual value and Patrick Surtain II‘s $77.5MM in total guarantees.