Should the Minnesota Vikings have paid Dalvin Cook?
One of the biggest talking points in the NFL is whether or not you should pay running backs. The Minnesota Vikings may have hit a roadblock in this situation after giving Dalvin Cook the bag. The former Seminole has had trouble staying on the field, so now the question becomes, should the Vikings have given him all that money?
Cook is one of the best running backs in the NFL. There’s no question about his talent or where he ranks in the league. When healthy, he’s arguably the second-best back behind Derrick Henry.
That’s the problem… it’s when healthy.
Since being drafted in 2017, Cook has played in 46 games and missed a total of 23.
During his rookie season, he unfortunately tore his ACL and has since dealt with small nagging injuries. This season he’s dealing with an ankle injury that’s kept him out of two contests, including a limited effort in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns.
The Vikings selected Alexander Mattison in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he’s been one of the more productive backups in the league. We’ve mostly seen the former Boise State standout when Cook is out with an injury. He’ll obviously get a few snaps when Cook is healthy, but not enough to gain any sort of momentum
Since entering the league, Mattison is averaging 4.4 yards per carry, whereas Cook is getting 4.7. We know that Cook is a better running back, but the best ability is availability.
| Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | From | To | AV | G | Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | Lng | Rec | Yds | TD | Y/R | Lng |
| 1 | Dalvin Cook | 2017 | 2021 | 39 | 46 | 820 | 3887 | 34 | 4.7 | 75 | 158 | 1345 | 3 | 8.5 | 50 |
| 2 | Alexander Mattison | 2019 | 2021 | 8 | 31 | 261 | 1154 | 3 | 4.4 | 48 | 38 | 327 | 2 | 8.6 | 28 |
It’s hard to compare the two players when Cook has been in the league longer and has had a higher volume of carries. This is only to illustrate where both players stand as of today.
This season Mattison has played in all five games (2 starts), with 65 carries and 258 yards (4.0 YPC). He’s also caught 15 passes for 120 yards and one touchdown.
Cook has started in three games, adding 226 yards (4.4 YPC) and one touchdown on 51 carries. He’s caught 10 passes for 70 yards.
Minnesota has lost all three games when Cook has started, and of course, that’s not his fault, but maybe there’s less distributing of the ball when he’s in the game.
Cook is set to make $10-12 million over the next handful of years ($8 million next season). He will be a free agent in 2026 when he’s 31 years old. Unless he’s still dominating at that age, it’s hard to see the Vikings forking over more money to a running back over the age of 30. As beloved as Cook is, and it would be awesome to see him end his career here, it just doesn’t seem likely. That’s not till 2026, so let’s not think too negatively now.
There is an out in the contract in 2023, but that would leave the Vikings with a little over $6 million in dead cap. Minnesota can’t afford to leave that much money on the books because they’re already pressed against the cap.
When Cook is on the field, he can break the game open in so many different ways. His ability to break tackles and make people miss is simply incredible. If there wasn’t a history of injuries, this wouldn’t even be a conversation to be had.
The Vikings have two talented players in their backfield, but they’re starting to realize why running backs rarely get paid top-of-the-line money. Hopefully, Cook can stay healthy, because when it’s all said and done, he could be one of the best running backs of all time.
