Getty Free agent running back Dalvin Cook with the Minnesota Vikings in 2022.
Former Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook isn’t finished in the NFL, at least not according to him.
Cook spoke with Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston over the weekend and sent a message to the league at large about who he still is and why he’s worth the investment of any team willing to make one.
“I’ve got it all,” Cook told Wilson on April 6. “The tools are still here. I didn’t really get no reps last year. So, the legs are fresh, so the resumé speaks for itself. I’m still Dalvin Cook. I’m still that guy. For me, I don’t like to toot my own horn. I just like to go out there, put my helmet on and line up on the grass.”
Dalvin Cook’s Career Took Significant Dip With Jets, Ravens in 2023 Season
GettyRunning back Dalvin Cook, formerly of the New York Jets.
The Vikings chose to cut Cook ahead of the 2023 campaign in the interest of saving $9 million against the salary cap, incurring a $5 million dead cap hit in the process, per NFL.com.
Cook played the first six seasons of his professional career in Minnesota, racking up four Pro Bowl appearances to go along with 5,993 rushing yards, 1,794 receiving yards and 52 total TDs across 73 games played, per Pro Football Reference. He also earned north of $34 million from the organization across those six years.
Coming off a Pro Bowl campaign in 2022, Cook linked up with the New York Jets ahead of last season. He made nearly $6.6 million in 15 appearances for the team, but tallied just 292 yards from scrimmage before departing New York in January.
Cook then caught on with the Baltimore Ravens for their playoff run. He rushed the ball eight times for 23 yards in a win over the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round. Cook didn’t register a carry in the running game or a target in the passing game against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Championship Game the following week, which the Ravens lost by a score of 17-10.
Dalvin Cook Staying Ready for Next Chance in NFL
GettyRunning back Dalvin Cook, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens.
Cook will turn 29 years old in August, approximately one month before the start of the new regular season.
The running back remains a free agent following the first wave of signings that began in mid-March and may have a better chance of sorting out a landing spot once the NFL conducts its draft at the end of April. In the meantime, Cook is working out with a trainer in Houston preparing himself for his next shot, wherever that might be.
“Yeah, you always have to be prepared for the opportunity,” Cook told Wilson. “For me, I’m a veteran in the league. I know what it takes to be successful in this league. I know who Dalvin Cook is, and I know how I want to perform and what I want to do. Like you said, stay ready so you ain’t got to get ready.”
The running back added that he’s hungry for another chance to show that he can still contribute to winning at a high level.
“I think last year was really like a learning curve for me,” Cook continued. ” I got kind of itchy. … For me, patience is the key, so let’s just stay ready and stay confident it’s going to explode.”