Dalvin Cook: Minnesota Vikings reportedly set to release four-time ...
Last Updated: 08/06/23 5:55pm
Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook's salary for 2023 would have been the third-highest for a running back in the league
The Minnesota Vikings have informed star running back Dalvin Cook that they plan to release him, according to multiple reports in the US on Thursday.
Cook, a second-round draft pick in 2017, has been named to four-straight Pro Bowls off the back of four 1,000-yard season with the team.
The 27-year-old logged 1,173 yards, averaging 4.4 per carry, and 10 total touchdowns in 2022, but Minnesota are looking to move on as part of a cost-cutting exercise.
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Minnesota Vikings' Dalvin Cook produces an incredible 64-yard touchdown to help his side complete a miracle comeback against Indianapolis Colts!
Cook carried a salary cap hit of $14.1m this season, $15.6m in 2024 and $13.5m in the last year of his contract in 2025. Instead, by releasing him, the Vikings will incur a dead cap hit of $5.1m.
Cook's salary for 2023 would have been the third-highest for a running back in the league, behind Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans and Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns.
The salary-slashing move has been widely anticipated since before the NFL draft in April, with NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reporting the news on Thursday.
Rumoured landing spots for Cook include the Miami Dolphins, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Buffalo Bills - where his brother James Cook was drafted in 2022 - and the Denver Broncos.
The Vikings, meanwhile, appear prepared to enter the 2023 season with former backup Alexander Mattison as their lead running back.
The 2019 third-round pick rushed for 283 yards and five scores in 17 games last season. Ty Chandler and rookie DeWayne McBride are also on the depth chart.
Cook has not been present for the team's voluntary offseason workouts. He is currently recovering from offseason surgery to repair a shoulder injury that was originally suffered in 2019. His agency said in February that he is expected to be healthy for the start of the season.
Cook has rushed for 5,993 yards - placing him third among the Vikings' all-time rushing leaders - and has logged 47 touchdowns in 73 career games (72 starts) in Minnesota. He also has 221 receptions for 1,794 yards and five scores.
