Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter will undergo season-ending neck surgery, NFL Network reported Thursday.
Hunter had yet to play this season and had not practiced since Aug. 14. The Vikings placed Hunter on injured reserve in early September with the hopes that he’d be able to return sometime this season after rehabilitation.
The news comes on the same day the Vikings traded away star defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to the Baltimore Ravens.
Coach Mike Zimmer said on Oct. 14 that Hunter was still “mulling his options” after seeking a second opinion.
Hunter, 25, had 14.5 sacks each of the past two seasons and 54.5 in his five-year career with the Vikings. The Vikings selected Hunter in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft.