The Minnesota Vikings‘ cap sheet demands some meaningful departures from the roster this season, but there is one free agent the team must prioritize over all others.

Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus named edge defender Danielle Hunter the player the Vikings “can’t afford to lose” this offseason for myriad reasons.

“Minnesota’s defense, led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores, dramatically outperformed its collective talent level, and Hunter was the one true difference-maker that everything else orbited around,” Spielberger wrote. “Over the past two seasons, Hunter’s 150 quarterback pressures rank seventh and his 89 defensive stops rank second. He’ll still be 29 for the first month of his ninth NFL season.”

Vikings Will Incur $15 Million Cap Hit if Danielle Hunter’s Contract Voids

Hunter’s play isn’t the only reason losing him would cost Minnesota.

If the Vikings’ star defensive end walks in free agency, his contract will void, at which point the team will incur a significant salary cap hit without the benefit of Hunter’s services.

“Hunter’s situation is similar to [Kirk] Cousins‘. He, too, will affect the Vikings’ salary cap space in 2024 whether or not he’s in purple,” Alec Lewis of The Athletic wrote on Tuesday, January 23. “His dead-cap hit would be around $15 million. An extension before his contract voids in March could shift money into the future and give Minnesota more room to work with in 2024.”

Minnesota had a chance to extend Hunter ahead of the 2023 campaign, but the front office and Hunter’s representation failed to come to terms on a multiyear deal. Instead, the Vikings renegotiated the final year of his contract, increasing the base pay to $17 million.

Hunter’s compensation rose to $20 million based on incentives, after he amassed a career-high 16.5 sacks and a league-leading 23 tackles for loss.

Vikings Can Earn Cap Relief in 2024 by Re-Signing QB Kirk Cousins

Lewis also mentioned Cousins in his article, who will become a free agent if the Vikings don’t extend him before free agency officially begins in mid-March.

If the franchise chooses not to re-sign Cousins, not only will that decision leave Minnesota without a certain answer under center for the 2024 campaign, it will also cost the team a massive cap hit of $28.5 million next season.

Lewis laid out how signing Cousins and paying him more money actually helps the Vikings financially in the short-term, despite causing financial concerns for the future.

The only way the Vikings can decrease that number is by signing Cousins to an extension. That type of move would mirror a strategy Minnesota used in the past: stashing money in the future for relief in the present. If the Vikings believe they can compete for an NFC North title, an NFC championship or even a Super Bowl, this would be a sensible option.

Reducing Cousins’ cap hit for 2024 would allow the team to allocate more resources to shore up a talent-deficient defense. The drawback lies with how that would hurt the team in years to come.