It's official: RB Dalvin Cook has been released from the Minnesota Vikings
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings have made it official -- star running back Dalvin Cook has been released.
Cook, 27, had a $10.4 million base salary and $14.1 million cap hit for the 2023 season.
The Vikings selected Cook in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Injuries limited his play to just 15 games in his first two years, but since then he's been a consistent Pro Bowler.
"I hold Dalvin in the highest regard and am grateful for his contributions on and off the field. Dalvin is a tough, dynamic player and a respected leader by his teammates, which was evident by his multiple seasons as a team captain," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Friday. "As a finalist for the 2022 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, Dalvin's approach to the game and his commitment to sportsmanship is clearly respected across the league. We appreciate Dalvin's positivity, energy and leadership and will be pulling for him in the future."
The team's general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah added that Cook had been an "incredible leader for this organization for years," and said he was "thankful for everything Dalvin brought to the Vikings and sincerely wish him all the best in his future."
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With Cook gone, Alexander Mattison -- who signed a relatively inexpensive contract in the offseason to keep him in purple -- will likely see significant carries. O'Connell praised Mattison's growth as an every-down back during organized team activities.
"It's been really good to see Alex Mattison take a few more reps and really show that all three-down kinda ownership that he's been capable of for a long time," O'Connell said.
The Vikings also drafted running backs in the last two drafts, picking DeWayne McBride in the seventh round in the latest draft and Ty Chandler in the fifth round of last year's draft.
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