Vikings and Dalvin Cook agree to lucrative contract extension

Dalvin Cook and the Minnesota Vikings avoid disaster

Cook was down to the final season on his rookie deal, and wanted to cash in while he still can. After the deals reached with the likes of Christian McCaffrey this offseason, the Vikings were in a tough position, as they didn’t want to overpay at a position that frequently sees players fall off in their late 20’s and early 30’s. Cook’s age, however, suggests that he still has plenty of good football left in him despite his injury history.

Entering his age-25 season, Cook will avoid a franchise tag situation next offseason, as he’s signed a five-year extension with the Vikings. The deal will pay him $63 million and $28 million in guaranteed money, per Tom Pelissero.

Cook has long been pursuing such a deal

The contract will pay him $12.6 million per season, and the guaranteed money is nice plus for Cook, especially given his medical history. At his best, Cook is among the top five running backs in the league easily. Minnesota’s decision to trade Stefon Diggs in the offseason suggests they’ll be relying even more heavily on the run game moving forward. Cook knows this, the Vikings know this, and most importantly Cook’s agent knew this, which is precisely why the time was perfect for the two sides to agree to some sort of long-term agreement to ensure both of their interests are met.

No more than an hour after Cook finalized his contract, the Saints and Alvin Kamara agreed to a deal of their own, hinting that Cook was the first domino to drop in what could be a flurry of contracts handed out before the first Sunday of the NFL season.