If you thought the NFL was about to shut down, think again. Around the same time that the NFL’s 2023 regular season schedules were released, it was reported that all signs point to the Minnesota Vikings saying goodbye to the four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini.
When recently asked about his running back, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell expressed his appreciation for Cook, who rushed for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns last season. However, O’Connell offered some guarantee that Cook would still be with the Vikings when they open the regular season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It seems that money would break up Cook and the Vikings. The team reportedly asked Cook to adjust his salary this season, a request that Cook – who has a base salary of $10.4 million and a cap of $14.1 million for the 2023 season – declined. While they certainly want to keep him, the Vikings seem ready to part with Cook to clear cap space while leaning more on fellow backs Alexander Mattison, Ty Chandler and rookie DeWayne McBride. If they dealt him, the Vikings would most likely sign a free agent to help replace him. Kareem Hunt and Ezekiel Elliott are among the notable running backs still available.
Injuries limited Cook to just 15 games during his first two seasons in Minnesota. Since then, the former second-round pick has been a consensus Pro Bowler. He has gained a total of 6,423 yards since the start of the 2019 season and has scored 46 touchdowns in that span. Cook underwent surgery in February to repair the shoulder he broke in 2019.
His contract would likely limit his options, but there are still plenty of teams willing to add Cook to their roster. With that in mind, here are five possible landing spots for Cook if he and the Vikings part ways.
OK, this doesn’t make sense considering they’re already paying Tony Pollard $10 million for this season. The Cowboys also elected to run back Deuce Vaughn in the sixth round of last month’s draft to complement Pollard and fellow veterans Malik Davis and Ronald Jones.
Now that we’ve dealt with reality, let’s pay a visit to Jerry World. Everyone knows that Jerry Jones loves to make splashy moves, and acquiring Cook would certainly be one of them. Headlines aside, the move makes sense from a staffing standpoint. The Cowboys would certainly benefit from a player of Cook’s caliber to play alongside Pollard. Cook would also offer insurance in case Pollard leaves after the 2023 season.
For starters, the Bears have room to acquire Cook, who gave Chicago a lot of headaches during his stay in Minnesota. Cook would be an upgrade over the Bears’ current group of backs, which includes D’Onta Foreman, Khalil Herbert and rookie Roschon Johnson.
Cook would fit like a glove on the Bears offense. He would have a chance to run behind a refreshed line that also included rookie first round pick Darnell Wright. Cook would also play alongside quarterback Justin Fields, who is on the cusp of a breakout season.
Arizona has the capacity to take over Cook. They also need to run after James Conner who, given his injury history, would benefit from a defender of Cook’s caliber to share a backfield with.
The addition of Cook would make the Cardinals one of the NFL’s top offenses in terms of personnel. Like Chicago, the Cardinals acquired one of the best linemen in the draft in Paris Johnson Jr. Arizona also has a talented young quarterback in Kyler Murray, along with a talented receiving corps, led by Deandre Hopkins and Marquise Brown.
Despite his exchange request, Austin Ekeler seems to be staying in Los Angeles for the time being. But adding Cook would give the Chargers flexibility in position after 2023. Cook would also be a nice addition to the versatile Ekeler, who could be used even more as a receiver with Cook in two. Cook would bring much-needed depth to the Chargers’ backfield.
Cooking on the 49ers offense would be like playing Madden at the rookie level for coach Kyle Shanahan. Not only would Cook embarrass him with his wealth on offense, but he would also give Shanahan the desired depth on running back given the injury history of Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell.
A quarter of a century ago, Shanahan takes a close look at how Terrell Davis races on his way to winning two titles with Kyle’s father, Mike Shanahan. Cook would work similar magic on the younger Shanahan as he played the same zone blocking schedule that Davis enjoyed.