Cook (shoulder) is unlikely to be on the Vikings roster by the start of the new campaign, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.
Typically situations like this aren't discussed with such absolute language, so Seifert suggesting "all that remains is for the Vikings to formalize Cook's exit, a denouement that seems likely if not completely certain" is worth noting. Cook has a cap hit of nearly $14 million for 2023, and the Vikings already traded productive pass rusher Za'Darius Smith, who had a similar cap figure. The soon-to-be 28-year-old back has been the subject of trade rumors for months, although given no such trade has materialized it's unclear how many teams remain interested. The Vikings re-signed long-time backup Alexander Mattison to a two-year, $6.5 million deal this offseason, and the fifth-year pro figures to step in as the starter if Cook is traded or released.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Recovery progressing well
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Cook (shoulder) is making progress in his recovery from a shoulder procedure undergone back in February, a recent in-person checkup confirms, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Cook hopes the procedure will strengthen his shoulder, which has plagued him with recurring injuries dating back to 2019. The 27-year-old running back started all 17 regular-season games for Minnesota in 2022 while protecting the shoulder, and though his recovery from surgery could impact his availability for the start of OTAs, it would be a positive development if his long-term durability sees a boost. The Vikings have reportedly received inquiries about trading Cook, which could make sense considered his upcoming $8 million salary cap hit for the 2023 season.
The Vikings have received a trade offer for Cook (shoulder), according to SKOR North's Darren Wolfson.
The report didn't name the team offering the deal nor the return for the Cook in such a scenario. However, trade talk around Cook makes sense given that he will count $8 million toward the cap next season and Minnesota is about $15 million over the salary cap. The report says Cook does not want to take a pay cut. Cook underwent shoulder surgery in February which guaranteed $2 million in his salary for next season due to injury. The injury could affect his availability for the start of OTAs, but he's expected to be ready for the start of the coming season.
Cook underwent surgery Tuesday to address a shoulder injury, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Cook started all 17 games for the Vikings in 2022 -- the first such full season of his career -- despite continuing to manage a lingering shoulder injury initially suffered back in 2019. The 27-year-old rushed for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns on 264 carries last season, with another 39 catches for 295 yards and two scores on 56 targets, though his 4.4 yards per carry was a career-low mark. Cook's shoulder surgery could affect his availability for the start of OTAs, but as long as he's fully healthy by the start of the 2023 campaign, the four-time Pro Bowler will be in good position for another productive fantasy season as one of the Vikings' top offensive playmakers.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Totals 70 yards in playoff loss
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Cook rushed 15 times for 60 yards and caught six of seven targets for 10 yards in Sunday's 31-24 playoff loss to the Giants.
Cook had an eerily similar line to his previous meeting with the Giants when he was held to 64 rushing yards on 14 carries in Week 16 of the regular season. The 27-year-old was able to record his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season with 10 total touchdowns in another strong fantasy campaign. Cook hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, and he should remain one of the key offensive cogs for an explosive Minnesota offense in 2023.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Only plays first half
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Cook rushed 11 times for 37 yards and lost a fumble in Sunday's 29-13 win over the Bears. He also caught his only target for no gain.
Cook's involvement was limited to the first half, as the Vikings decided to rest their offensive starters after halftime. While that situation opened the door for backup Alexander Mattison to rush 10 times for 54 yards and two touchdowns, Cook didn't have his best performance prior to being rested, as he was held under 40 rushing yards for the second straight week and lost his fourth fumble of the campaign. Nonetheless, Cook figures to reclaim his leading tailback role once Minnesota takes the field in the playoffs.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: May not play full game
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Head coach Kevin O'Connell intimated Friday that Cook and other key starters on offense and defense may not play the entirety of the Vikings' Week 18 game in Chicago, Joe Nelson of SI.com reports. "We've got a pretty clear cut plan with how we want to go about the whole game, but we're going to go in with the expectation of our guys going and try to get off to a good start and play good football," O'Connell said.
Minnesota is assured no worse than the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs regardless of how this weekend's games transpire, but since the Vikings will need a win over the Bears plus a Cardinals win over the heavily-favored 49ers to climb to the No. 2 seed, O'Connell may not have much incentive to expose key players to an injury heading into the wild-card round. While Cook and all of the Vikings' other starting skill-position players look poised to play at least one series, the uncertainty of whether they'll play much beyond that makes it tough to reliably project any in Week 18 season-long or DFS lineups.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Stifled by Green Bay
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Cook carried the ball nine times for 27 yards and caught two of three targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 41-17 loss to the Packers.
The Vikings lost two offensive linemen to injuries early in the game, absences which contributed to Cook failing to get anything going on the ground. It was his worst performance since Week 2 against the Eagles, and with Minnesota having nothing but playoff seeding on the line in Week 18's matchup with the Bears, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Cook get some extra rest and cede touches to Alexander Mattison.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Can't get going in win
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Cook carried the ball 14 times for 64 yards and caught three of four targets for 13 yards in Saturday's 27-24 win over the Giants.
New York held the running back relatively in check, keeping Cook out of the end zone for the first time since Week 12, but he still reached 70 scrimmage yards for the 11th time in 15 games. The 27-year-old is 113 scrimmage yards short of 1,500 for the season, a figure he'll look to reach in Week 17 against the Packers.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Forces OT with long TD catch
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Cook rushed 17 times for 95 yards and caught all four of his targets for another 95 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 39-36 overtime win over the Colts. He also lost a fumble.
Cook racked up 40 yards on his first carry but then had the ball stripped on the next play for his third lost fumble of the season and second in the last two games. On the next possession, Cook was stuffed on 4th-and-inches from his own 31. Minnesota trailed 33-0 at halftime but used a full team effort to overcome the hefty deficit, with Cook contributing a 64-yard touchdown catch with the Vikings down eight and 2:15 left in the fourth quarter. The Vikings completed the largest comeback in NFL history with a field goal in overtime. Cook should continue to lead Minnesota's backfield in Week 16 against the Giants.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Limited success in loss
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Cook rushed 15 times for 23 yards and a touchdown and secured one of two targets for 13 yards in the Vikings' 34-23 loss to the Lions on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.
Cook appeared to be on his way to a productive day when he capped off a 10-play, 75-yard march late in the first quarter with a one-yard touchdown rush, but the rest of his afternoon, which included a lost fumble deep in Lions territory near the end of the first half, was a study in frustration. He found running room at a premium against a quietly improving Detroit rush defense, leaving him with his second-lowest yardage tally of the season. The talented back will aim to make up for the lackluster day and get into the end zone for a third straight game in a Saturday afternoon home matchup versus the Colts in Week 15.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Scores seventh touchdown
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Cook rushed the ball 20 times for 86 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-22 win over the Jets. He added two receptions for minus-3 yards.
Cook bounced back from a couple of subpar performances with a relatively efficient game. His effort was highlighted by a four-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter to tally his seventh rushing score of the season. Cook also chipped in a 21-yard gain on the ground, only his fourth rush of more than 20 yards on the campaign. In addition to the encouraging performance, Cook's workload remains very steady, as he has seen at least 17 carries in three of his last five games.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Bottled up in Week 12 win
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Cook rushed 22 times for 42 yards and brought in four of five targets for 14 yards in the Vikings' 33-26 win over the Patriots on Thursday night.
Cook's final rushing line underscores how rough the sledding on the ground was for him against a Patriots defense that had been elite against the run in recent games. Cook's long run went for only six yards, although he helped avoid a complete fantasy washout for managers in PPR formats by tying his second-highest catch total of the season. Cook's next assignment doesn't project as much more appealing, either, as he'll face the tough Jets defense in a Week 13 home matchup a week from Sunday.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Leads team with 72 yards
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Cook rushed 11 times for 72 yards and failed to catch his lone target in Sunday's 40-3 blowout loss to the Cowboys.
It was a game to forget for the Vikings as a whole, who were blown out so badly that the starters were pulled in the fourth quarter. Cook was the only player to find success offensively with a healthy average of 6.5 yards per carry. The 27-year-old will carry a strong 156/799/6 rushing line into Thursday's holiday matchup against the Patriots.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Races for 81-yard TD in OT win
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Cook rushed 14 times for 119 yards and one touchdown while catching three of five targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 33-30 overtime win over the Bills.
Cook was bottled up in the first half but broke free for an 81-yard touchdown run to pull the Vikings within 10 in the third quarter. He later helped Minnesota work its way down the field for a go-ahead field goal in overtime with rushes of 10, nine and 10 yards. That field goal coupled with a game-clinching interception by the defense improved the Vikings' record to 8-1 heading into a Week 11 home game against the Cowboys. Cook's touchdown was his fifth rushing score in the last five games.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Gets receiving TD in win
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Cook rushed 17 times for 47 yards and brought in two of six targets for nine yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' 20-17 win over the Commanders on Sunday.
Cook had a difficult time finding any running room against a stingy Commanders front, but he still found a way to make an impact via a nifty 12-yard scoring grab down the left sideline midway through the fourth quarter. The versatile back's rushing yardage total was his lowest since Week 2, but the receiving score was his first of the season and helped salvage the otherwise underwhelming fantasy day. Cook has another unenviable matchup on tap in Week 10, as the Vikings travel to Buffalo to face the Bills.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Racks up 141 total yards, TD in win
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Cook rushed 20 times for 111 yards and a touchdown and brought in five of six targets for 30 yards in the Vikings' 34-26 win over the Cardinals on Sunday.
Cook turned in the best all-around performance of any Vikings skill player, generating his first 100-yard game of 2022 and a season high in receptions and receiving yards in the process. The star back also scored his fourth rushing touchdown in the last three games with a four-yard run in the third quarter to extend Minnesota's lead to two possessions at the time. Cook next faces a stingy Commanders run defense on the road in a Week 9 battle.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Salvages day with long TD
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Cook rushed 13 times for 77 yards and a touchdown and brought in his only target for six yards in the Vikings' 24-16 win over the Dolphins on Sunday.
Cook was having a positively pedestrian day against an active Dolphins run defense until he shook loose for a 53-yard touchdown run two plays after the defense recovered a Jaylen Waddle fumble late in the fourth quarter. The score, Cook's fourth of the year overall, turned out to be the difference in the game after Miami scored a late touchdown, and the yardage tally was Cook's fourth straight of greater than 70 yards. He'll aim to finally eclipse the century mark when the Vikings return to action for an Oct. 30, Week 8 home matchup versus the Cardinals following a Week 7 bye.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Chips in 86 total yards
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Cook rushed the ball 20 times for 76 yards in Sunday's 28-25 win over the Saints. He added two receptions for 10 yards.
Cook overcame a shoulder injury to account for 20 of the 25 carries out of the Minnesota backfield. He wasn't particularly explosive but did tally two rushes of more than 10 yards. While his production was mediocre, Alexander Mattison and Justin Jefferson both scored touchdowns from inside the 20-yard line, denying Cook a chance to reach the end zone. Cook has managed at least 85 total yards in three of four games this season but has only one touchdown.
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Vikings' Dalvin Cook: Off injury report entirely
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Cook wasn't listed on Minnesota's injury report Friday and will play Sunday versus the Saints, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Cook returned to a full practice Thursday, and he won't be required to miss any time despite suffering a dislocated shoulder Week 3. The veteran running back isn't unfamiliar with such injuries or playing with a harness to protect his shoulder, and he's previously displayed an ability to do so without requiring a lessened workload. In any case, fantasy managers can safely consider Cook on track for his usual top running back role Sunday versus New Orleans in London.
