After an offseason overflowing with speculation, the Minnesota Vikings will be parting ways, in some fashion, with running back Dalvin Cook. Unless a last-minute trade offer comes through, he will be released today.
It’s an unfortunate but expected outcome. It’s unfortunate because Cook has been one of the best and most fun running backs in Vikings franchise history. After two, injury-riddled seasons, he’s been rolling. Over the past four seasons, Cook has been one of the league’s best backs.
2019:
250 carries
1135 yards
4.5 avg/carry
13 TDs
53 catches
519 yards
2020:
312 carries
1557 yards
5.0 avg/carry
16 TDs
44 catches
361 yards
1 TD
2021:
249 carries
1159 yards
4.7 avg/carry
6 TDs
34 catches
224 yards
2022:
264 carries
1173 yards
4.4 avg/carry
8 TDs
39 catches
295 yards
2 TDs
He was selected to the Pro Bowl after each of the past four seasons and received All-Pro recognition in 2020.
He played through shoulder issues for most of the past two seasons. Issues that forced him to essentially play with one arm. Despite that, last season was the first season in which Cook played every game on the schedule. He had surgery on that shoulder soon after the 2022 season. At 28, he’s probably as healthy as he’s ever been in his NFL career.
Cook’s departure became an expected outcome when the Vikings signed backup running Alexander Mattison to a contract extension. It wasn’t a bank-busting extension but it was enough to make having two backs with contracts of substance a bit excessive. Cook’s departure became even more expected when the Vikings selected DeWayne McBride in the 2023 NFL Draft. Despite being selected in the seventh round, he’s a back with intriguing potential. It’s early but I can see McBride being the team’s “franchise back” in a couple years. Anyway, the Vikings now have a crowded backfield. The crowding of that backfield this offseason was a clear sign that the team was moving away from their most expensive and one of their best playmakers.
Dalvin Cook has been a fun, terrific running back since he was selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In a draft filled with talented backs, Cook was right with Christian McCaffrey as one of the best. Cook was a first round talent that slid to the second round because of off-the-field concerns. The Vikings took a chance and Cook has been very appreciative of that. He sought to reward their faith in him. He did. A torn ACL ended his rookie season just when he was ramping into stardom. His absence was severely missed during a season that ended in the NFC Championship game. Hamstring issues reduced his second season to 11 games. Since then, he’s been dynamite. Even while he was navigating those early injuries, he was dynamite. Through his six seasons in Minnesota, he developed into a team leader. He was a leader in word and action. He’s been one of my favorite players. Six years isn’t nearly long enough.
I have a tough time with today’s annual roster churn. Perhaps it stems from coming up as a fan in the 1970s. Those Vikings teams rarely changed from year to year. Rookies were added each year. Veterans aged out of the league. Although many of those Vikings veterans didn’t age out until they were damn near 40. There was no free agency. Many of today’s fans only know this annual churn. It even seems like some encourage it. They are quick to toss any emotional ties to a player. Maybe they never had any. I find the roster churn painful and this has been a painful offseason.
Adam Thielen
Eric Kendricks
Dalvin Cook
Include Patrick Peterson and the Vikings lost four of their captains and four of their most impactful and influential team leaders. Thielen, Kendricks, and Cook are franchise greats. All three are serious contenders for the Vikings Ring of Honor. They are certainly in my Ring of Honor.
Dalvin Cook was, and still is, a special football player. He’s far from done. The burst. The vision. The versatility. It’s all still there. He should also again have full use of both arms. I’m going to miss him.
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