When Houston needed an impactful edge rusher this offseason, there was an obvious choice.

The Texans knew there was already a player in free agency with roots in the Houston community, a player that the team knew could come in and make a big impact and a player that was ready to return home.

The Texans secured one of the biggest moves of the offseason thus far when they signed Morton Ranch graduate Danielle Hunter to a two-year, $49 million contract.

 “It means a lot (to represent Morton Ranch,)” Hunter said. “I was at the school when it first started, I was part of the first playoff game Morton Ranch had and they’ve continued to climb ladders ever since. It’s very important to give back to where I came from. They helped me to be where I’m at today and that’s a big part of who I am.”

Hunter has become one of the best pass rushers in the NFL since being drafted by the Vikings. Over his eight years in Minnesota, Hunter has 87.5 sacks and 316 solo tackles, making three pro bowls. He comes off a season where he had 16.5 sacks and 54 tackles, but the Vikings struggled to a 7-10 record and finishing third in the NFC North.

Hunter wanted to be in a place where he could compete. He realized the Texans could provide that when he came back to Houston after the regular season and was at NRG Stadium for the wildcard round matchup between the Texans and Browns. Hunter saw the way that this Texans team competes, heard the noise in the crowd and immediately knew that a return home in free agency would be something his was interested in.

“I was actually at the game against the Browns and I liked what I saw there,” Hunter said. “The whole feeling, you could see the vibes on the field, the way these guys played for each other and how they swarmed the ball on defense, that was a big part of me wanting to be here and I’m excited about that.”

Hunter should be freed up playing alongside defensive rookie of the year Will Anderson Jr. and a revamped Texans defensive line. They’ll be close in number too, as Hunter will not continue wearing No. 99 as he did in Minnesota and will instead wear No. 55 out of respect to JJ Watt.

“That’s JJ’s number, he’s done a lot with that number and I’m not even going to mess with it,” Hunter said. “To be able to do what he did in that number and everything he’s done for this community. I want to leave that to him.”

But no matter the number, this is shaping up to be an exciting Texans team and one that Hunter is excited to be a part of.

The Texans continued their moves by trading for pro bowl running back Joe Mixon and making a trade back out of the first round, sending the No. 23 overall pick and a seventh-round selection to the Vikings in exchange for the No. 42 overall pick, a sixth-round pick this year and a second-round pick in 2025.

 “It means a lot and it’s an honor to be able to come back and play in front of my family and all the people that I grew up with,” Hunter said. “I know they’ve been pretty excited and they can’t wait to come to a game and see me play.”