Dalvin Cook is "Full Go" at Vikings Camp, Even Without a Contract Extension
If Dalvin Cook is frustrated by his current contract situation, he's not showing it.
The Vikings' star running back recently spoke to reporters for the first time since making national headlines in June with the announcement that he'd be holding out. Cook knew he would get questions about his contract, and answered each one respectfully while making it clear that his focus is on football.
"The Vikings and my agent are working extremely hard and that side’s going to take care of whatever they’ve got to take care of," Cook said. "I’m just continuing to work my tail off and lead a young, hungry group that’s ready to go work and get this thing done for Minnesota. That side’s going to take care of that side and I’m going to take care of my side."
It's no secret that Cook is seeking a contract extension; the 2017 second-round pick is set to make just over $2 million this season in the final year of his rookie deal. Having established himself as one of the NFL's most talented running backs, Cook wants to be paid as such.
It became a big story a couple months ago when news broke that Cook would be holding out from all team activities until he received a "reasonable" extension offer. However, there was never a realistic chance that Cook's holdout would continue into training camp. The new CBA effectively ended holdouts by guaranteeing daily fines and the possibility of a player losing a year of service time if they failed to report.
Cook confirmed that he never had any plans of not showing up to camp.
"That never was a thought that came towards me," he said. "This is where I want to be at. This is what I love to do. I was going to be here regardless of whatever the speculations [that] came up or [questions of] if I wasn’t coming. I was going to be here ready to work."
Cook reported to Vikings camp a few weeks ago after a bizarre saga over whether or not he would do so. He went through COVID-19 testing with the rest of his teammates, participated in walkthroughs, and was out there on Friday for the Vikings' first full-speed practice of the year. Cook said he'll continue to participate when the team puts the pads on for the first time on Monday.
"I’ll for sure be out there coaching, cheering, running the ball," Cook said. "I’m locked up full go, a thousand percent. I’m trying to get better. I’m trying to lead this young group that we’ve got."
For now, the extension Cook desires hasn't become a reality. It's certainly possible something gets worked out soon, but it's also worth noting that the two sides were quite far apart during initial negotiations. Cook is reportedly seeking $13 million per year, while the Vikings were offering more like $8 million. It's unclear if that gap has closed at all over the past couple months.
This offseason, Christian McCaffrey ($16 million per year) and Derrick Henry ($12.5 million) received big-money extensions. When asked if Henry's deal is what he deems reasonable, Cook declined to elaborate on any specifics.
"Those guys deserve what they got," he said. "I don’t ever want to compare myself to those guys. I put myself in a category of my own. Whatever my agent and the Vikings come up with as reasonable enough for me on and off the field and they come to an agreement, that’s what it’s going to be."
While his agent and the Vikings continue negotiating, Cook is focused on getting ready for the season. After missing 17 of 32 games to injury during his first two years in the NFL, Cook stayed mostly healthy last year and recorded over 1,600 yards from scrimmage with 13 touchdowns. It was a breakout performance that resulted in his first Pro Bowl appearance.
Despite big overall numbers, Cook did miss two games and saw his production decline sharply down the stretch while he dealt with multiple upper-body injuries. He said he put on some additional muscle this offseason to help him take hits and stay healthy, but his injury history is undoubtedly a factor in the ongoing contract negotiations.
Cook said he hasn't looked into taking out an insurance policy if he enters this season without an extension.
"I think I’m the insurance policy – me, myself," Cook said. "I’m ready to go, I’m ready to play football. Injuries come with the game. It’s just how you deal with them. It was never an injury that I couldn’t battle back from and that just comes with it. I’ve got to accept that. I’m putting myself, my body in the best position to succeed this whole season.’’
With the start of the regular season less than a month away, Cook is in an interesting position. He's one of the biggest stars on the team and a leader in the locker room. Mike Zimmer has named him a captain for the upcoming season. ("That’s not my issue, but I love the kid and hope he gets whatever he deserves," Zimmer said about Cook's contract status). He wants to be a Viking for the long haul; Cook said he "loves being in Minnesota" six different times during his press conference.
But for the time being, he's still without a new contract. If that doesn't happen prior to this season, Cook could face the reality of becoming a free agent in 2021. Or maybe he would be franchise-tagged, which would mean he'd be without long-term security for another year.
Cook isn't looking to the future. He's focused on working hard every day to prepare for an important 2020 season, and he's confident that things will work themselves out on the business front.
"I’ve been grinding all offseason hitting the weights, hitting the field, getting better at my craft and my position to get ready to play this year," he said. "I’m not really thinking that far ahead of time. I got a full season coming up to play and I just want to win a championship."
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