The Chicago Bears are in dire need of some help with their pass rush, and according to ESPN’s David Kaplan, the Bears will be attempting to address that problem in free agency.
Kaplan states that Chicago will be pursuing Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter, who is slated to hit the open market next month.
“Sources telling me considerable speculation is accurate: that the Bears will pursue Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter, who is one of the top available players on the market,” Kaplan said during a recent episode of REKAP. “I was also told by a very good source the Bears actually pursued him last year, talking trade when the Vikings considered moving him.”
Earlier in February, ESPN’s Dan Graziano also reported that Chicago was very interested in Hunter, so, more than likely, where there is smoke, there is fire.
The Bears will have ample cap room heading into free agency and they registered just 30 sacks as a team in 2023, so their rumored interest in Hunter does not come as much of a surprise.
Of course, signing Hunter will not be a slam dunk for Chicago.
The Bears will have plenty of competition for Hunter’s services, as the defensive will be one of the top defensive players available in a few weeks.
Hunter is coming off of a terrific season in which he racked up 83 tackles and a career-high 16.5 sacks to go along with four forced fumbles en route to his fourth Pro Bowl appearance.
The 29-year-old, who played his collegiate football at LSU, was selected by the Vikings in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Hunter has logged double-digit sack campaigns in five of his eight NFL seasons, posting 14.5 sacks in back-to-back years in 2018 and 2019.
The Bears went 7-10 this past season and went a respectable 7-6 after a miserable 0-4 start. They are probably only a few pieces away from becoming a genuinely tough team, and Hunter could be one of the very players they need to reach that next level.
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