Minnesota Vikings and running back Dalvin Cook have agreed to a multi-year extension, the team announced over the weekend. The new deal extends Cook’s stay with the Vikings for another five years and puts him under contract through 2025.
Cook entered the final year of his rookie deal this season, and it seemed that he will most likely play it out as Vikings stalled the extension talks. However, the two sides managed to reach a last-minute agreement, and the 25-year-old player entered the season opener against Green Bay Packers with a brand new contract.
NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported later that the deal came with an overall value of $63 million. This includes $28 million guaranteed and secures Cook a $12.6 million annual salary.
Vikings were reportedly reluctant to commit big money to Dalvin Cook, considering his injury struggles since they took him in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Cook tore his ACL and was limited to just four games, while in 2018, he struggled with hamstring issues.
However, Cook bounced back with a monster 2019 campaign in which he was a focal point of the Vikings’ offense. He finished the regular season by rushing for 1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding 53 catches for 519 receiving yards in just 14 games.
This breakthrough year ultimately made Minnesota take a gamble and lock Cook on a long-term deal despite injury history and small sample size. Now it’s up to him to live up to the expectations and give Vikings’ fans more reasons to celebrate.
