Former Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook had hoped to sign a deal for a salary on par with what the Vikings were set to pay him before releasing him on June 8. But his bet on himself hasn’t gone according to plan.
Cook does have an offer from the Miami Dolphins (who remain the betting favorites), but it isn’t fitting of the contract he would like to have, according to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington.
“The Miami Dolphins remain interested, they still have an offer on the table — one that Cook is not willing to accept,” Darlington said July 8 on “NFL Live.”
The video clip of @JeffDarlington on @ESPNNFL talking about @dalvincook and Miami. #FinsUp
Darlington added that Cook could be trying to create more leverage in future contract talks, potentially waiting until after Josh Jacobs or Saquon Barkley strike new deals that would reset the running back market.
The New York Jets and New England Patriots also have an interest in Cook, but whether any of those teams offers him a deal that is satisfactory for what he’s looking for remains to be seen as training camp approaches at the end of the month.
The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reported on June 11 that Cook was looking for something “far closer” to the $10.4 million base salary he would’ve earn this year from the Vikings.
Kirk Cousins Leaves Vikings’ Door Open for Dalvin Cook
GettyKirk Cousins expressed that he’s holding onto some hope that Dalvin Cook could re-sign with the Vikings after his release in June.
In the wake of the news of Cook’s release, Kirk Cousins addressed Cook’s departure at mandatory minicamps on June 14 and expressed that he’s still holding on to hope that the Vikings could reunite with the four-time Pro Bowl running back.
“I wanted to take the time just to acknowledge the respect I have for [Cook] as a player and a person and the difference he’s made for our team,” Cousins added. “His toughness. His consistency. I think he’s been to four straight Pro Bowls, so that says it all right there,” Cousins said in a June 14 media conference following minicamp.
“I’m excited to see where he goes, I’ll always be pulling for him, and I’m kind of optimistically hoping we get him back — who knows. Maybe there’s an outside chance. We’ll see.”
Vikings Never Asked Dalvin Cook to Take Pay Cut: Report
While much has been made about Cook’s departure from Minnesota, the situation wasn’t as cutthroat as it seemed from the outside, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Pelissero, appearing on “The Rich Eisen Show” in June, reported that the Vikings never actually requested that Cook take a pay cut, instead asking him to restructure his current contract.
“There were scenarios, all the way through the process,” Pelissero said of Cook’s negotiations with Minnesota, “in which the Vikings would’ve brought back Dalvin Cook. … Cook got to a point where he did not want to take a restructure — he was truly, never actually offered a pay cut. But he was not going to restructure his contract with the Vikings, nor was he going to restructure his contract to facilitate a trade.”
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Ex-Vikings RB Dalvin Cook Strikes Down Lower Offer, Insider Says