Minnesota Vikings’ hopes of having Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter back at some point this season are officially put to rest.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Hunter is set to undergo a surgery that will sideline him until 2021. The procedure should resolve the neck issues that the player is dealing with since August.
Minnesota previously hoped that Hunter could recover without a procedure, allowing them to have him on the field for the final stretch of games in 2020. However, the rehab process didn’t go as planned, forcing the 25-year-old player to take the more straightforward road to recovery.
Danielle Hunter has been one of Minnesota Vikings’ best players in the past two years, contributing with 29.0 sacks and 142 tackles in 32 starts. These stellar performances resulted in back-to-back Pro Bowl campaigns for former LSU product while he also earned Second-team All-Pro honors in 2018.
Hunter’s season-ending injury is set to add to Vikings’ misery, considering the team is already missing star linebacker Anthony Barr while pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue was traded to Baltimore Ravens several days ago. Minnesota is currently 1-5 and has the second-worst defense in the league through the first six weeks.
