Chuck Foreman, Herschel Walker Weigh in on Dalvin Cook Extension Debate

Two former Vikings running backs shared their opinions on the possibility of a Dalvin Cook contract extension.

One of the most pressing long-term decisions facing the Vikings right now is what to do with their star running back, Dalvin Cook. The 2017 second-round pick is set to hit free agency next spring unless he and the Vikings work out an extension before then, but the recent history of second contracts for running backs provides reason to think twice about committing big money to Cook.

Cook had his healthiest, most productive season in 2019, breaking out for 1,654 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns in 14 games. He established himself as one of the best running backs in the league and was a crucial part of a run-heavy Vikings offense not only as a runner, but also catching passes out of the backfield.

There's no denying Cook's talent; the question the Vikings have to answer is about value when it comes to the running back position. How crucial is Cook to their offense, which has solid RB depth in Alexander Mattison and Mike Boone? And should his injury history scare the Vikings enough to avoid committing to an extension?

Back in January, we did a deep dive on the case for and against signing Cook to a big-money extension. Check that out here.

It's been an ongoing discussion, with people making arguments for both sides. The latest to jump into the debate are former Vikings running backs Chuck Foreman (1973-1979) and Herschel Walker (1989-1991). In an excellent story by Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, both Foreman and Walker expressed support for the idea of a Cook extension.

Foreman came out firing with some takes about Cook's value and his opinion of Cousins, who the Vikings recently extended through the 2022 season.

“Without Dalvin Cook (the Vikings’) offense is nothing,” Foreman said. “They gave Cousins all that money and he hasn’t proven anything as far as I’m concerned as far as being able to win big games … In their system, the way the running back is set up, Dalvin Cook is the key to everything.

“You overpaid the quarterback. He’s not in the top 20 quarterbacks in the game. That’s just my personal opinion. I like Kirk. He’s hard-working and everything, but he’s just limited in what he can do. … They signed Cousins, but without Cook there to support him, it’s not going to work.”

Walker's argument in support of Cook was a little more nuanced.

“There’s always going to be all these debates,” Walker said of signing running backs to big-money contracts. “But I’m going to say this: He fits the Minnesota system very, very well. I think people have got to look at that. You can bring in another running back, but he may not fit the system. That doesn’t mean he’s not a good back, but (Cook) fits the system so well right now that you‘ve got to think about that when you’re negotiating.”

Vikings GM Rick Spielman said at the combine that Cook is "one of those core group of players that we definitely want to try to keep," but it's not a simple decision. Recent big contracts for the likes of Todd Gurley, Le'Veon Bell, Devonta Freeman, David Johnson, and even former Viking Jerick McKinnon have backfired for the teams that signed them.

Cook is an outstanding player, but the Vikings have to figure out just how important he is to their future success.

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