It appears that running back Dalvin Cook’s time with the Vikings is nearing a conclusion, according to a report from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
Cook, who is scheduled to make $14.1 million thanks to a contract extension signed under former GM Rick Spielman in 2020, is not expected to be with Minnesota for the upcoming season. The soon-to-be 28-year-old’s pricey salary is a significant factor in the team’s thinking, per Seifert.
The team has been preparing for a post-Cook era at running back for months. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah re-signed the team’s No. 2 running back Alexander Mattison to a new contract in free agency that is set to guarantee him $6.35 million over the next two seasons. Mattison’s return to Minnesota was uncertain heading into free agency, but his return was predicated on an “understanding” of the team’s plans for him moving forward. Additionally, coach Kevin O’Connell stated that Mattison has demonstrated “all three-down ownership that he’s been capable of for a long time.”
