Dolphins target Dalvin Cook reportedly offered girlfriend $1 million to clear name
Contract figures may not be the only thing delaying free agent running back Dalvin Cook’s signing with his next NFL team.
Cook, the former Minnesota Vikings star running back who has been pursued by the Miami Dolphins this offseason, reportedly offered $1 million to an ex-girlfriend to clear him of wrongdoing, despite her previously sworn allegations against him of abuse, according to the Star Tribune on Thursday, citing a document filed in Dakota County District Court.
The now-sealed filing by Gracelyn Trimble’s attorney opposes Cook’s request to bar testimony at trial for cash settlement offers of $800,000 and then $1 million.
According to the report, the document said Cook’s initial $800,000 offer came with a requirement that Trimble sign a sworn affidavit denying abuse claims. However, Trimble has already testified under oath that Cook physically abused her. The ensuing seven-figure offer, instead of sworn testimony, required Trimble to send a letter to the NFL absolving Cook of wrongdoing.
Attorney Daniel Cragg wrote that Cook’s initial offer was “not only evidence of a crime” but admissible at trial to show he tried to coax Trimble into perjury, according to the report.
Cook’s agent, Zac Hiller, denied the validity of the report.
“The Star Tribune has already been proven to lie about Dalvin Cook in the past,” Hillertold the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “The recent article is entirely incorrect. The evidence in this case disproves all the allegations. Dalvin’s defamation claims against the accuser and her attorneys, Eckland and Blando, will go to trial next year and be successful.”
Cook, a former Miami high school star at Central High who played college football at Florida State, has been linked to the Dolphins throughout the offseason. The Vikings released the four-time Pro Bowl tailback in June, making him a free agent, after the team could not find a trade partner for him.
The lawsuit against Cook is no new matter. It was filed in November 2021, with Trimble alleging physical and emotional abuse. Cook then filed a defamation lawsuit against her. Both cases are pending.
Dolphins veterans report for training camp Tuesday with a first practice Wednesday. Another one of Cook’s suitors, the New York Jets, have already started training camp.
