Jets signing Pro Bowl RB Dalvin Cook to one-year deal
The Jets are adding another huge weapon to their revamped offense, agreeing to terms with former Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, according to numerous reports.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, it is a one-year deal worth up to $8.6 million.
Cook, who turns 28 in August, was released earlier this offseason after the Vikings unsuccessfully tried to trade him, ending his six-year tenure in Minnesota.
When asked during OTAs about potentially adding Cook, head coach Robert Saleh said, “Obviously, we’ll turn the stones over on that one,” while adding that Joe Douglas was the one who would have to figure out if the money could work. Apparently, it did.
A big part of making the money work can be attributed to Aaron Rodgers, who agreed to a new two-year contract that drastically cut down his cap number for 2023.
A second-round pick out of Florida State in 2017, Cook signed a five-year, $63 million extension with Minnesota in September 2020. He had a cap number of $14.1 million for the 2023 season, and releasing Cook saves the Vikings $9 million off their 2023 cap number.
Cook is coming off his fourth straight Pro Bowl season, and he’s been one of the most productive running backs in the league over that span. In six seasons in Minnesota, Cook racked up 5,993 rushing yards with 47 rushing touchdowns, but he also carried the ball 1,282 times, including 245+ carries in each of the last four seasons, so it’s fair to wonder how much tread he still has on the tires.
By signing with the Jets, Cook joins an already talented running back group, highlighted by last year’s second-round pick Breece Hall, who is coming off an ACL injury, along with Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, and rookie Israel Abanikanda.
Adding Cook to the mix gives Rodgers and the offense another talented playmaker, joining the likes of Hall, Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, and Mecole Hardman, among others.
