According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, former Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook is signing a one-year deal with the New York Jets. His contract is worth up to 8.6 million dollars.
For a while, it seemed like Cook’s endgame would be this. The entire NFC East – which includes his hometown Miami Dolphins – was in the mix, but Cook visited the Jets a few weeks ago and a deal was struck.
After competing against Aaron Rodgers for years in the NFC North, Cook is now teaming up with the future Hall of Famer and four-time MVP. He’s entering a crime where not only Rodgers is involved, but claims of an aggressive year from non-skill positions like Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, Allen Lazard, and Mekole Hardman. Cook will also reunite with fellow former Vikings teammate Tyler Conklin, who is a top tight end for the Jets.
Hall, another 2022 draft pick, had a great start to his rookie season before joining the ACL club at the end of October with the ACL tear. He’s still recovering from that injury, so Cook believes he’ll have to take the leadership of the backfield before sharing time with Hall. If both players are healthy, the Jets could have one of the best NFL running back tandems.
In June, the Vikings released Cook due to contract reasons and handed their top backfield spot to Alexander Mattison. The player who left Florida State in the second round in 2017 was hampered by injuries in his first two seasons after being released in the second round in 2017, but he’s been mostly healthy since 2019, consistently putting up strong Pro Bowl performances. He ranks third in rushing yards and fourth in rushing touchdowns in Vikings history.
Over the past four seasons, Cook is only behind Derrick Henry in yards, with more than 6,423 yards. His production in the previous season saw an odd dip in numbers, but with surgery to fix the shoulder issue, he could be healthy in 2023, which has plagued him for multiple seasons.